Carry Me Away
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Buffy witnessed a tragedy when she was a little girl. She's taken in by the Giles family and forms a close bond with their son, William, but things change as she gets older. Can Buffy ever be the happy child she once was? Spuffy!
1. Chapter 1

This fiction is a bit different than my others. It will be angsty and possibly dark in some places, but I always have a happy ending to make up for it. There will be lots of Spuffy, even though that won't exactly happen right away. As always, thanks go to Devin and Mari for helping me out with it. I'm a bit nervous about this one, so I really hope you guys would like it and leave me a review. Anything would be greatly appreciated!

**Chapter 1**

"Okay, time for little girls to be in bed."

The blonde shook her head adamantly. "I'm not sleepy. Can you read me a story, Mommy?"

Joyce had a hard time saying no to her, but knew that she had to. "Daddy and I have a lot to talk about, Buffy. I'll read to you tomorrow. Now, let's get you all tucked in."

She nodded and snuggled under the blankets.

Joyce pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Sweet dreams, baby."

Buffy smiled. "Night, Mommy."

Joyce watched her little angel for a while longer, then left the room and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Buffy was ripped out of slumber by a loud noise coming from downstairs, jumping out of bed to see what it was. She heard voices and stood at the top of the stairs, kneeling down to look through the railing. She saw her parents arguing with another man that she wasn't familiar with. 

"Please, take whatever you want. Just leave us alone," Hank Summers pleaded.

The man shook his head, reaching into his pocket to draw out a gun. "This ends here," he spat, pulling the trigger and shooting Hank in the chest.

Joyce screamed and ran to her fallen husband's side.

"It was just him that I wanted, but I can't leave any witnesses." He pulled the trigger a second time, a bullet landing in Joyce's head.

She slumped to the floor next to the body of her husband.

Buffy gasped from the top of the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

He glanced up at her, not knowing that a child was in the house. He couldn't take any chances and aimed the gun towards her, about to pull the trigger again, but was stopped by the sound of sirens outside. He wanted to deal with the cops even less and after giving one more look to the little girl, made his way out of the house. There wasn't much she could do, anyway.

Buffy remained there in shock as a few police officers barged into the house.

They ran over to the bodies on the floor to feel for a pulse, but there were none.

"Hey, Miller? There's a kid up there."

The one in lead looked up at Buffy, carefully moving up the stairs as to not startle her. "It's okay, you're safe now. Let's get you out of here." He picked the child up and carried her down the stairs, knowing that it would be a very long night.

* * *

"Where is Buffy? I'm Anne Giles, a friend of her parents. I heard about what happened and that she was brought here." 

Officer Graham Miller nodded and led the distraught woman to the back of the station. "She's still in a state of shock. We tried talking to her, but she hasn't spoken a word to anyone yet."

Anne took in the sight of Buffy sitting in a chair, a lost look on her face. Seeing your parents murdered was nothing for a six-year-old child to experience.

"Maybe you can get through to her," he commented.

Anne kneeled down in front of the little girl, grasping both of her small hands. "Do you remember me, honey? We met a couple of times."

Buffy finally focused on the person in front of her, more tears falling from her eyes. "I want my mommy and daddy. I saw them get hurt, but the people took me away."

Anne's heart was breaking for the child. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," was all she could manage to get out.

"Where's my mommy? I wanna go home."

Anne held the sobbing girl to her chest, not knowing what else to do.

* * *

"Does she have any other relatives close by to stay with?" 

Anne shook her head. "Not that I know of."

Officer Miller sighed. "I suppose there's always foster care."

Anne didn't like the idea of Buffy getting sent to some foster home, where she wouldn't know anyone. "I could take her. I mean, I knew her parents. I would hate for Buffy to live with strangers."

He thought about it, then nodded after a moment. "I'll see what I can do."

Anne nodded as well, knowing that she made the right decision.

* * *

"Come on in, Buffy. You don't have to be scared." 

She took in her new surroundings, feeling out of place and wishing to see her parents again.

A little boy then came barreling down the stairs, staring at her curiously.

Anne smiled. "This is William, my son. You've met him before, but I don't know if you would remember. William, this is Buffy. She'll be staying here with us. I want you to make her feel welcome, all right?"

William nodded and took her hand in his. "I'll show you my room." He pulled her upstairs, not bothering to wait for a response.

Anne watched them go, already having a feeling that they would get along great.

* * *

"You can play with my toys if you want. I have a lot." 

She looked around his room.

"What happened to your mummy?" he asked after a moment.

Buffy felt saddened before answering him. "She's in Heaven now. My daddy's taking care of her."

"My grandmum's in Heaven, too. It's a nice place, you don't have to worry. My mummy always tells me how happy she is there. You wanna play a game?"

She nodded and noticed that he talked funny, but stayed silent and watched him take out Candy Land for them to play. It was always her favorite game.

* * *

"It was horrible, Rupert. Someone broke into their house and shot Joyce and Hank; the poor child saw the whole thing. I couldn't just let them put her in a foster home." 

Rupert Giles nodded. "I couldn't imagine going through something like that. They were such kind people. We'll make a nice home for her here."

Anne smiled and placed a kiss to her husband's cheek. "Thank you, I knew you would understand. Joyce and Hank loved that little girl very much, I'm sure they would be happy to know that we were caring for her now. And it would be nice for William to have someone close to his age to play with; he's always keeping to himself."

Giles had to agree. At only eight-years-old, William was a very bright young boy. He wasn't like other children his age. Instead of playing ball with the other boys, he would rather be inside with his books. He was always so shy and hardly associated at all with the other kids at school. Giles prayed that Buffy would be able to bring William out of his shell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Ten years later…_

"Come on, what takes you so bloody long?"

Buffy rolled her eyes from inside the bathroom. "Keep your pants on; I'll be out in a second."

William, also known as Spike now, threw his hands up in the air and started to pace in front of the door.

Buffy finished putting on the last of her make up and once she was satisfied with her appearance, finally left the bathroom.

Spike pushed her out of the way and hurried inside, slamming the door behind him.

"I guess he really had to go," Buffy said to herself, then shrugged and headed downstairs. She flashed her adoptive parents a bright smile when she found them in the kitchen. "Morning, Giles." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, then did the same with Anne. They may have been her parents for the last ten years, but she still had yet to call them Mom and Dad. For some reason, it didn't seem right.

Anne let out a sigh. "Honestly, Buffy, I don't understand why you continue to wear so much make up. You have such a lovely face."

She rolled her eyes again, getting annoyed of always hearing the same lecture.

Spike bounded into the kitchen. "I would have to agree. If you didn't paint your face so bloody much, maybe I would actually get the bathroom more."

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, that's real mature."

Giles groaned, having to go through the same thing every morning. "Sit down and eat your breakfast, you wouldn't want to be late for school."

"No, wouldn't want that," Buffy mumbled, but did as he said.

Spike sat down across from her, a grin lighting up his features as he kicked her leg under the table.

"Ow, you big jerk. And you talk about me being immature?"

Spike shrugged and glanced down at his plate, not able to keep the smile off of his face. It was always fun to irritate her. She had been in his family for about ten years, but it was hard to think of Buffy as a sister. They were always really close since childhood, but he mostly considered her to be one of his best friends. Even though they sometimes tended to hang out with different groups at school, he still didn't know what he would do without her. Spike hoped to never find out.

* * *

"Hey, B, you're just the person I was looking for."

Spike rolled his eyes when Faith Lehane made her way over to them. She was the resident bad girl at Sunnydale High and he didn't care for her influence on Buffy, but never said anything about it.

Buffy addressed Spike before leaving with her friend. "I'll see you after school."

He nodded and watched them walk away, Faith turning around to blow him a kiss. "And to think I actually dated her, I must have lost my bloody mind."

* * *

"God, the guys in this school are so dull. I think we need to get us some college men."

Buffy laughed and shook her head, taking a drag off her cigarette. "I doubt they would be any better."

Faith agreed. "I wonder if I can get Spike to loosen up a bit and give us another chance, we had some good times."

"If I recall exactly what he said about your so-called relationship, it was something like 'that bloody crazy bitch will be the death of me.' His words, not mine."

Faith placed her hand over her heart. "You know, I think that actually hurt. Nah, I'm over it now. He wasn't that good, anyway. I've had a better screw in my sleep."

"Hey, that's not cool. Spike's a good guy; he's just not into everything you are. He actually does well in school and has a love of poetry. I would be surprised if you could even name a poet," Buffy commented.

Faith gave it some consideration, then flicked her cigarette to the ground. "Okay, all of this thinking hurts my head. I'll see you later, B."

Buffy threw her cigarette to the ground as well and stepped on it, deciding that it was time to head to class.

* * *

"Blondie Bear, I was hoping that was you. Have you been avoiding me?"

Spike groaned. "Why would I do that? I don't care about you enough to avoid you, Harmony."

She pouted. "That's not very nice."

He shrugged. "I never said I was a nice bloke. What do you want?"

"I know you're not with that freak anymore, so I figured maybe you were ready to move on. We should go out sometime."

Spike had to laugh. "Yeah, there's no chance of that happening. You're not exactly my type."

Harmony crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, I suppose your type is crazy Goth chicks then? Come on, Spikey. You can do so much better than that."

"Your mouth is open, Harmony. Sound is coming out, this is never good."

She glared at the intrusion. "I didn't realize I was talking to you, Betty."

Spike smiled at the angry expression that took over Buffy's features. It was no secret that the two blonde's couldn't stand each other.

"You're not even worth my time. Can't you take a hint, Barbie? He's not interested in you. You're just being really pathetic right now."

Harmony moved closer to Buffy, shoving the other girl into a nearby locker. "It's better than being a freak."

Spike growled and stepped in front of Buffy, causing some of the students to stop and stare at them. "You don't ever touch her, you got that?" he stated loudly, not even caring about making a scene.

Buffy placed a calming hand on his arm. "Spike, it's okay. It's not like she really hurt me."

He wouldn't budge, giving Harmony a look that could kill. "She had no right to touch you." His tone softened when he focused back on Buffy, noticing that Harmony ran off and everyone returned to what they were doing.

"It's okay, let's just get to class."

Spike calmed down enough to nod and followed after her.

Buffy worried about him when he got like that. He was a very sweet and caring guy, but had one of the worst tempers. It would usually come out when anyone hurt or threatened her. A guy called her a whore once and got a black eye for it, courtesy of Spike. She loved how protective he could be, but sometimes it was just a bit much. Buffy was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Ever since he found out what happened to her parents, he had been extra protective of her.

Spike pulled her arm to stop her before they entered the classroom. "I'm sorry about that. I just get a bit crazed sometimes; I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Buffy shook her head. "You didn't, I just worry when you get like that. I'm a big girl, William. I definitely don't need your help against, Harmony. She's a total flake."

Spike couldn't argue with that. Buffy was the only one that ever got away with calling him by his real name, except for his parents. "I know, but I'm still sorry." He tapped her nose with his finger. "You really don't need a lot of make up, love. You would be just as beautiful without it," he claimed, then walked into class.

Buffy stared after him in confusion, wondering what that was about.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

_"Mommy, why aren't you getting up? It's too early to be sleeping." Buffy continued to nudge her mother's body, but couldn't wake her. She felt a warm wetness on her fingers and looked down at her hands to see the blood that coated them. She moved away from the body, only to notice a pool of blood form around her mother's head. _

_"You weren't supposed to be here. I was very careful about that." _

_Buffy gazed into the cold eyes of the man that murdered her parents. He wasn't wearing a mask, so she could see him very clearly. _

_The man raised his gun, with shaky fingers and pointed the weapon in her direction. "I won't make the same mistake again," he spat, then pulled the trigger. _

Buffy woke with a start, glancing around at her surroundings. She sighed in relief and lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. It would be hard to get back to sleep after that.

* * *

Spike nearly jumped out of his skin when Buffy appeared in the kitchen. He wished she wouldn't sneak up on him sometimes, but recognized the expression on her face. It was one she wore almost every night.

"Another nightmare?"

All she could do was nod.

He nodded as well. "Hot chocolate?"

That got a tiny smile out of her. "With those little marshmallows?"

Spike returned her smile. "It wouldn't be the same without them. I couldn't sleep myself, figured I would have a late night snack."

Buffy sat down and watched Spike fix them two cups of hot chocolate; it was like a tradition with them.

He placed her cup in front of her once he was finished, then sat down beside her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head and looked away from his intense stare, blowing into her cup and taking a long sip of the hot liquid.

Spike didn't pry after that. He had a feeling about what plagued her dreams, anyway.

Buffy was willing to talk about anything else, so she immediately changed the subject. "Faith wants to get back together with you."

Spike made the mistake of taking a gulp of the hot chocolate when she said that, which caused him to spit it out onto the table. He coughed and wiped his mouth, staring at her in shock. "You didn't tell her I wanted that, did you? It would be a cold day in Hell before I ever consider getting back together with that bitch. Besides, what we had isn't exactly what I would call dating."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I know, all you had was lots of sex. Trust me, I've heard about it enough to last me a lifetime."

Spike blushed; he really wished Faith wouldn't tell her about that. He knew that neither one of them was a virgin, but it felt weird to talk to Buffy about his sexual experience. Just as it would for him to hear about hers. "It wasn't that much."

Buffy scoffed. "Yeah, sure it wasn't. I thought most teenage guys were only after sex, anyway. If that was all your relationship was, then why would you want to get out of it?"

"Believe it or not, but I want more than that in a relationship. Faith was a nice enough bird when we first met, but then she started to be a bit too much for me to handle. The biggest mistake I ever made was introducing the two of you."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Why exactly was that a mistake?"

It was Spike's turn to roll his eyes. "I see how you get whenever you're around her. You act like a completely different person, with your dark make up and slutty outfits. That's not you, Buffy."

"And you think you have me all figured out? How do you know that's not the real me? Maybe Faith just brought my real personality out."

Spike shook his head. "I don't believe that. I've known you for ten years, Buffy. I think I would know how you really are. You put on an act for her, but you really don't have to. There's nothing wrong with being yourself."

Buffy got up to rinse her cup out in the sink, then turned around to glare at him. "You're really one to talk, William. What about the way you act? You used to be this bookish nerd, and now you're all about the leather and being a bad ass? That's not the real you, either. You're just pretending to be cool, so the jocks won't pick on you anymore."

Spike felt hurt by her words, but wasn't about to let her know that. "I may have changed a bit on the outside, but I'm still the same on the inside. You've changed more than you think, pet. I know Faith isn't all to blame for that. You've gone through something traumatic, something no one your age should ever have to experience. I know you still have nightmares about what happened. I just wish you would talk to me about it, let me help you."

She held her hand up to stop him. "I'm not having this conversation with you, okay? I don't need you to shrink me, Spike. How many times do I have to say that I'm fine before you start believing me? I don't need therapy, and I don't need your help. I'm not a little kid anymore, people grow up and they change. It's the way of the world. I happen to like the person I am now and if you can't accept me, then that's really not my problem."

Spike sighed as he watched her walk away. No matter how long he knew Buffy, he didn't think he would ever understand her.

* * *

He was still finding it hard to sleep later that night, knowing that he would pay for that when it was time to get up for school. Buffy's room was right across from his and he wanted to stay awake long enough to see if she would need him. Spike figured there was no way she would ask for his help, but he could at least hope. The nightmares were starting to get worse and he just wanted to be there for her, anyway that he could. She would spend nights tossing and turning, sometimes she would cry out loud enough for him to hear, but not enough to disturb his parents. They never knew how bad it was for her, and he wasn't about to tell them. Spike didn't think she would ever forgive him if he did that. Another hour went by and still nothing from Buffy, so he assumed it was going to be a quiet night. Spike finally let himself relax and soon drifted off to slumber. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

Spike was seething as he watched her across the cafeteria. Smiling and laughing at whatever the big oaf was saying to her. Liam O'Connell, also known as Angel to his friends, was nothing but trouble. He had been a bloody thorn in Spike's side since the beginning of high school, and now he was flirting with Buffy.

"What do you suppose the git is saying to her?"

Xander Harris shrugged; he had been a friend of Spike's for years. They went back as far as elementary school. "It's hard to tell sitting all the way over here. It looks like he's asking her out."

Spike wasn't about to let that happen. "No bloody way am I letting that ponce take out my…Buffy." He caught himself from saying 'my girl' and hoped that Xander didn't notice, but there was no such luck.

"Your what? If I didn't know any better, I would say that you were in love with her," Xander commented, laughing at the thought of that. His laughter quickly died down when Spike didn't join in, instead remaining quiet. "Whoa, you're in love with Buffy? When did that happen?"

Spike avoided his gaze, suddenly finding the floor to be very interesting. "I don't know. It just did." He met Xander's eyes once again. "You can't say anything, Harris. I don't want her to find out."

Xander nodded. "Sure, it's not my place to say anything. I just don't know how you can keep something like that a secret."

Spike gave a sad smile. "I've been keeping it a secret since sophomore year. A little longer won't hurt."

* * *

"I can't believe Angel actually invited me to his party this weekend. Me? He's like the most popular guy in school. I didn't even think he knew that I existed. His parties are always so huge; I never thought I would ever get an invite to one."

Faith grinned. "You see what happens when you hang with me, B? You get noticed a lot more. I can't wait until Spike finds out; you know he can't stand Angel."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, that's not my problem. Spike's not my keeper; I can go out with whoever I want. He's just gonna have to deal."

Faith threw her arm around Buffy as they exited the school. "Let's go to my house, I have a few outfits that would look great on you. Angel will never know what hit him."

* * *

Buffy looked herself over in the mirror, feeling pleased by her appearance. She was wearing a red halter top and short, black skirt that she borrowed from Faith. Her hair fell down her shoulders in waves, the make up on her face a little lighter than usual. She decided that Spike was right about the fact that she wore too much of it. Faith would be arriving shortly to drive them over to Angel's house. She was grateful that Giles and Anne would be out late tonight, having a feeling they wouldn't approve of her leaving the house dressed the way she was.

"Where the hell do you think you're going in that?"

Buffy groaned in annoyance, apparently they weren't the only ones that wouldn't approve of her choice in clothes. She turned to Spike. "I'm going out with Faith. What's it to you?"

He wasn't convinced. "Somehow I doubt that's all you have planned. Why don't you try again?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and just decided to tell him the truth. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going to Angel's party. He invited me personally," she said with a smile.

"Are you out of your bloody mind? Do you know what his parties are like? The cops were called to break up the last one. You must be daft if you think I'm letting you go."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't ask for your permission, Spike. You can't tell me what to do."

He grinned and stepped closer to her. "Now, that's where you're wrong. I'm in charge while my mum and dad are out, so you have to do as I say. You're not going to that party. I mean it, Buffy. You'll thank me later, that bloke is bad news. You don't wanna get mixed up with a guy like him, okay?"

Buffy decided to give in, for now. "Fine, I won't go. I hope you're happy."

His grin grew wider. "Ecstatic, I'll be downstairs watching the telly for a bit. You can sulk up here if you want, or you can come down and join me."

She wouldn't budge. "I would rather sulk."

Spike nodded. "Suit yourself," he said, then left her room.

The second he was gone, Buffy grabbed her cell phone. "Faith, don't knock on the front door. I'm coming out the window, I'll meet you outside." She clicked her phone shut and lifted the windowpane, climbing down the tree that was outside. It wasn't the first time Buffy snuck out of the house; she was practically an expert by now. She jumped to the ground and noticed her friend drive up, making her way over to the car and getting in on the passenger side. "Let's get out of here."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Sneaking out again? Let me guess, Spike didn't exactly approve?"

"What else is new? He's such a pain sometimes. I hate how they always treat me like a little kid."

Faith nodded in understanding and pulled away from the house, heading to their destination. "Don't worry, girl. We're gonna have one hell of a time tonight."

Buffy let a smile form on her face. She could hardly wait.

* * *

Spike knocked on her bedroom door, feeling guilty for how he reacted earlier. He just wanted to keep her safe, but she refused to see it.

"Buffy, are you asleep?" He got no response and turned the knob to find it unlocked, pushing her door open to see an empty room. Spike moved over to the window to find it slightly ajar. "I'm going to kill her." He left her room and headed downstairs, grabbing his leather coat before leaving the house. Spike would have to drag her back before his parents got home. He should have known that Buffy would pull a stunt like this; she would never back down that easily. He was kicking himself for not realizing it sooner, but he wanted to trust her. A lot of good that did, it looked like they would have to put bars on her window now. "I hope you're having the time of your life, love. You won't be leaving the house again for a long time."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Check out all of the eye candy, B. I'm definitely gonna get my fill tonight."

Buffy only had one person in mind as she searched through the crowd for Angel. "He sure does have a lot of friends." She jumped when the man in question suddenly put his arm around her.

"Glad you could make it, ladies."

Faith licked her lips. "We wouldn't have missed it."

Angel grinned and motioned for one of his friends to come over.

Faith turned her attention on the new man that showed up. She never saw him before, but had a feeling he was in college.

Angel patted him on the back. "This is my buddy, Riley Finn. I'm sure you two would hit it off."

Faith was definitely not disappointed. "I'm sure we will," she said, moving closer to Riley.

Angel focused back on Buffy. "You wanna go some place quieter and talk?"

Buffy felt a little nervous, but tried not to show it. "Sure, where did you have in mind?"

"I think my room is free, everyone knows not to go in there."

The nervousness fluttered even more in her stomach, but all she did was nod.

Angel smiled and took her hand, leading her upstairs to his bedroom.

* * *

Spike arrived at Angel's house about ten minutes later, only to see a bunch of students and people he didn't know getting completely wasted. He rolled his eyes and looked around for Buffy.

"Hey, baby, you wanna have some fun?"

Spike pried the intoxicated girl off of his arm. "I'm gonna pass," he said and moved away from her, Buffy being his only priority at the moment.

* * *

"So, this is a nice room."

Angel sat down on his bed, pulling Buffy down next to him. "You seem a little tense, you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess this all just takes some getting used to. I never thought that you noticed me."

He lightly caressed her cheek. "How could I not? You're one of the prettiest girls in school."

Buffy blushed and looked away from his gaze, but he wouldn't let her.

"I really do like you, Buffy. I was hoping we could get to know each other better," he commented, placing his hand on her thigh.

Buffy glanced down and gulped, knowing where this would probably lead.

"I know you used to have a thing with Parker Abrams. He was going on about what an easy lay you were. I just had to see for myself."

Buffy instantly jerked away from him. "That's the only reason you invited me up here? Because you think I'm a quick screw? Parker was a mistake; he likes to make shit up. I think I should go now." She tried to get up, but he stopped her again.

"Come on, don't be like that. I know Abrams is all talk; I'm the one that told him off when he said some nasty stuff about you. I really do just wanna get to know you better, Buffy. We can take it slow; nothing has to happen that you don't want to happen."

Buffy couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not, but stayed where she was.

"Just relax, I won't hurt you," he whispered, capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

Buffy returned the kiss, trying not to gag when he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

He cupped her breast through her shirt, giving it a squeeze.

Buffy moaned into his mouth.

Angel was pleased by her reaction and lowered her down on his bed. He got on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. He raised her shirt up a bit to expose her flat belly, spreading kisses on the smooth skin that he found there. Angel then reached for her skirt and lifted it to reveal her silk panties. "So damn hot," he stated and was about to slide her underwear off, but didn't get a chance.

"No, stop, I changed my mind. I don't want to do this." Buffy sat up and moved away from him, but Angel had a firm grip on her arm.

"You're a tease, you know that? You can't just get me all worked up like that and then decide you would rather be elsewhere. It doesn't work that way."

Buffy pulled her shirt down. "I'm sorry, but this isn't what I want. I…I think I should go home." She silently cursed herself for stuttering.

Angel rolled his eyes. "I'm not ready to let you leave yet. Now, stop being a whiny bitch and let me do what I brought you up here for." He pushed her back down on the bed, getting irritated by her struggles. "This would be a lot more fun if you would just stay still."

Buffy tried to fight him off, but he was stronger than her. "I mean it, Angel. Let me go or I'll scream."

He laughed. "Scream all you want, baby. Do you really think anyone would hear you?"

She didn't care and let out a piercing scream.

Angel was fed up and struck her hard across the cheek. "See? That's what you get, you little slut. Shut the hell up or I swear to God, I will beat the shit out of you."

Buffy stared at him in surprise and fear, not knowing what else to do.

* * *

Faith was busy shoving her tongue down Riley's throat, when someone pulled her away from him.

"Jeez, what's your damage?"

Spike really didn't feel like dealing with the annoying bint right now, but figured she was the only one that could tell him where Buffy was.

"Where is she, Faith?"

She pretended to think it over. "Where is who?"

Spike glared at her. "Don't give me that crap, Lehane. Where the hell is Buffy?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Don't know, last I saw she was heading upstairs with Angel."

As soon as she said that, Spike ran up the stairs to try and find her. He got no luck with the first two rooms that he tried, then made his way to the third door. It was then that he heard the scream. "Buffy!" he yelled, kicking the door open. He was shocked to find Angel on top of Buffy, her cheek red and a look of pure fear on her face. "You bloody bastard!" Spike grabbed Angel away from her. He punched him hard in the face, noticing that was all it took for the man to fall down unconscious. He must have had way too much to drink. Spike turned to Buffy, right as she was getting off of the bed. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, stunned to see that his features quickly turned from concern to anger.

"What did you think you were doing? I told you not to come here! I told you that Angel was no good! When are you ever going to listen to me, Buffy? You could have been seriously hurt, or even killed! You can't keep pulling shit like this!" He stopped his tirade at the sight of the tears in her eyes, never able to handle it when she cried. His expression softened and he grabbed her in a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You had me worried sick. Don't ever scare me like that again. I know you think I'm being too hard on you, but it's only because I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you. If I lost you, I don't know what I would do."

Her sobs soon died down as she pulled away from his comforting embrace. "Can we go home now?"

Spike nodded and wiped her remaining tears away. He led her back downstairs to the party, finding Faith in another make out session. He pulled the girl away from the ponce she was with, not caring if she was giving him a death glare. "I'm taking you home, too. Let's go."

Riley stepped in front of Spike. "Maybe she doesn't wanna go with you, man."

He rolled his eyes for the millionth time that night. "She's seventeen, you bloody idiot."

Riley's eyes widened. He held his hands up and walked away.

Spike grabbed Faith's arm and pulled her out of the house, with his other arm around Buffy.

The brunette ripped her arm out of his grasp once they were outside. "God, you really are a mood killer."

"Just get in the car, Lehane."

Faith crossed her arms over her chest. "I brought my own car here."

Spike was losing what little patience he had left. "I'm not about to let you drive home when you've been drinking, you'll just have to pick it up tomorrow. Now, get in the car."

Faith flipped him the bird, then slid in the backseat.

Spike slammed the door shut and opened the passenger side for Buffy.

She got in without a word.

Spike was worried about the fact that she still had yet to say anything, but only closed the door and went over to his side. He started the car up and drove away; not knowing what he would tell his parents.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

"Stop being such a baby and let me see."

Buffy glared at him, but let him finish putting some ointment on her face.

"There, that wasn't so bad. This should help with the swelling," he told her.

She avoided his gaze, feeling guilty once again. "Spike, I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I wasn't thinking."

He nodded. "I'm just glad you're all right. I know you're sixteen and life is all a big party to you right now, but you need to be more careful. Blokes like Liam are nothing but trouble; you shouldn't be getting involved with the likes of him. Did you learn nothing from the whole Parker fiasco?"

Buffy wished he wouldn't bring that up; it was something she was still trying to forget.

"You've had a rough night, so I won't tell my mum and dad about this. I'll just mention that you fell down or something. Just don't let it happen again, okay?"

Buffy sighed in relief that he wouldn't tell on her. "Thanks, I promise to be better. Well, I'll try really hard."

Spike figured that was the best he would get out of her. "Now, get to bed. They should be home soon."

Buffy smiled and gave him a quick hug, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Love you," she replied, then headed into her room.

Spike let out a sigh, knowing that she only loved him as a friend. God, he really hoped she didn't see him as a brother.

* * *

Buffy was tossing and turning later that night. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get to sleep. She was about to give up, when she felt another presence join her on the bed. Buffy felt safe once he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"What took you so long?"

He chuckled. "Sorry, I was just coming back from the loo when I heard your struggles. The words that come out of your mouth when you can't sleep are very amusing."

Buffy turned around to face Spike. This was sometimes a habit with them. She would have problems sleeping or wake up from a bad dream, and he would show up to lend her some comfort. "Stay with me tonight? Chase all the demons away?"

Spike brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She sounded like a scared little girl, and he would do whatever he could to protect her. "I won't let those demons hurt you," he whispered.

She smiled, finally feeling herself doze off. "I know you won't."

Spike watched her for a while longer, then followed her in slumber.

* * *

"Your brother really knows how to take the fun out of everything."

Buffy cringed at that. "He's not my brother. You're just lucky Spike got you out of there before you were almost raped. If that college guy is a friend of Angel's, there's no telling what he would have done."

Faith shrugged. "I could have handled him. I'm not a kid; I don't need Spike to treat me like one. Now I know what it must be like to live with him. I can't believe I seriously dated that guy. He used to be such a geek. I guess at the time that was a turn on, but now he can just kiss my ass."

Buffy had enough. "Don't talk about him like that. Spike cares about you, even though you don't deserve it. He could have left you at that party, but he did the right thing by getting you out of there. I know I was very grateful to him for showing up when he did. I can't believe I let you talk me into going in the first place."

Faith glared at the blonde. "That was all you, B. I didn't twist your arm; you could have easily said you didn't wanna go."

"It doesn't matter, it's done now. Just lay off of Spike, okay? He's always been there for me."

Faith grinned. "That's because he's whipped when it comes to you."

Buffy raised her eyebrows in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "God, how oblivious can one person be? Spike's got it bad for you, Blondie. Anyone with half a brain can see it."

Buffy shook her head. "No, you're wrong. Spike doesn't think of me like that."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. I gotta hit the head, catch you later."

Buffy watched her friend walk away; wondering if there could be any truth to her words.

* * *

"Are you okay? You've been pretty quiet."

Buffy nodded as she headed to her locker after school, opening it up to throw her books inside. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

Spike shrugged. "I don't know. You just seem to be distracted."

Buffy closed her locker door and turned to him. "I'm just tired, not sleeping well and all."

Spike nodded in understanding. "I wish I could make that better for you."

She smiled. "You did, Spike. It was a big help having you there last night."

He blushed and glanced away from her.

Buffy wondered about that, but noticed Angel laughing with his friends in the distance.

Spike turned as well, pure hatred now taking over his features at the sight of the dark haired man. He had a feeling about what the ponce was telling his mates.

Buffy placed her hand on his arm, knowing what he was thinking. "Don't, just let it go. You'll only make things worse."

"I can't let that bastard get away with what he did to you. He's acting like nothing even happened."

Buffy agreed. "Angel will get his sooner or later, Spike. I wouldn't want you to do anything that you might regret later. Come on, let's go home."

Spike focused back on Buffy, never able to deny her anything. "Yeah, let's get out of here." He took her hand in his and led her out of the school.

Buffy noticed that his hand was still clutching hers once they got outside, but realized that it felt really good.

* * *

Spike was lying in bed later that night, staring up at the ceiling. Everything was starting to be too much, knowing that Buffy was in the room across from him and not being able to have her the way he wanted. He started to have dreams of his own, but where Buffy's were terrifying; his were a bit more erotic. Spike would have given anything for his dreams to become reality, but it wasn't likely to happen. He would just have to admire her from afar and have that be enough. He had been doing it for years now, anyway. Spike was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by a bloodcurdling scream. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Spike barged through Buffy's bedroom door, only to see her screaming and thrashing around in her sleep. He ran over to her and grabbed her arms first, holding them as to avoid her hitting him. He carefully sat down on the edge and started to shake her.

"Wake up, Buffy. You're just having another bad dream. Come back to me."

She gasped and sat up with a start, meeting his concerned eyes and bursting into tears.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest, running his hands soothingly down her back. Luckily, his parents had their room on the other side of the house and with the loud fan that they tended to have on at night, they wouldn't be likely to hear her screams. He was very grateful for that at the moment, but if things kept getting worse with her, he would have to tell them. No matter how much she might hate him for it. Spike was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of her soft voice. She was repeating something to herself and immediately knew that she wasn't talking to him. It took all of his concentration to make out what she was saying.

"He'll come for me," she whispered over and over.

Spike gently pushed her away to get a good look at her face. "Who'll come for you, love?" It didn't look like she would answer him, but she finally spoke after a minute of silence.

"The man that killed my parents. He's still out there somewhere. He'll find me, I can feel it."

That was the last thing he expected to hear. "That was ten years ago, pet. I doubt he's still in town; you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Besides, he's not likely to know that you're the same child from back then. Or that you would even be able to identify him."

Buffy glanced away from his gaze, knowing that it was finally time to confess the truth. She took a deep breath and focused back on Spike. "He wasn't wearing a mask. I got a good look at him after he murdered my parents. It's the same face that haunts my dreams every night. I'll never forget that face," she commented with a shudder.

Spike was stunned by this new information. "Why didn't you ever say anything about that? You could have told the police, Buffy. They probably would have been able to find him sooner. You told everyone that you never saw him. How could you keep something like this a secret?"

Buffy was prepared for the questions, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "I don't know, okay? I was just scared. I was only six-years-old and it's been ten years, I was just hoping everything would go away."

"Something like this never goes away, Buffy. You'll never be free of him if you don't tell someone. You should talk to my parents, they could probably help."

Buffy shook her head. "No, I can't tell them. This is just between us, Spike. You can't say anything. They'll want me to see a shrink or something. I don't need therapy."

Spike knew that he would regret what he said next, but didn't see any other options. He had to make her listen somehow. "Maybe seeing a therapist is the right thing for you. It might help to talk to a stranger. You just need to talk to someone, Buffy. It doesn't matter who it is. I feel like I can't even get through to you anymore, but maybe someone else can."

Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She flung the covers off of her body and jumped out of bed, moving away from him. "I thought you were my friend. There's nothing wrong with me, I'm not crazy."

Spike stood up to face her. "I never said you were, pet. Going to a therapist doesn't mean that you're crazy, and of course I'm your friend. I just want what's best for you."

"No, you just want me to do what's best for you. I'm sorry if my nightmares are keeping you awake, but no one is forcing you to come in here. I can handle it by myself. I don't need you or anyone else."

Spike took a step closer to her, feeling his heart ache when she kept moving away from him. "Please, Buffy, don't shut me out. I don't mind coming in here to keep the nightmares away. I would do it every night if I could. You have to understand how hard this is for me. I hate seeing you in pain." He finally reached out to pull her into his arms, but she didn't want to be held. It felt like his heart was breaking when she pushed him away from her, only to have him lose his balance and fall back on the bed.

"You need to leave now. I can sleep on my own tonight. I've never needed you, Spike. You were just…convenient." The look on his face instantly made her regret those words, but she knew there would be no taking them back now.

Spike nodded and stood up, but wasn't about to let her have the last word. "Fine, if that's how you want it. I should know by now that you'll do whatever you want, anyway. The hell with anyone else that tries to help you, but don't think for one second that I don't care about you. You can be the biggest bitch in the world and I'll still care about you, but I give up. You're not the girl I used to know. If she ever decides to come back, you'll know where to find me," with that said, he turned and left the room.

Buffy sat down on her bed once he was gone, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed the picture frame that was on her nightstand, gazing down at the photo of her parents. The only one she had of them. Buffy lightly traced their faces with her finger, her tears falling down onto the glass. She could hardly remember them anymore, but clutched the frame to her chest as she lay back down. Buffy stared up at the ceiling, wondering if they were watching her from above. "I'm sorry, Mommy and Daddy. I'm sorry that I was a terrible daughter. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you." She was crying harder with the last words, turning on her side and pouring her sorrows out into her pillow. It wouldn't be the first time that she cried herself to sleep. One more thought entered her mind as she finally drifted off to slumber. _I'm sorry, William._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It had been weeks since they talked. Buffy avoided him every chance she could, and he gave her the space that she wanted. No matter how much it killed him. He had to suffer with watching her from afar again, witnessing the flirting that she would do with boys that weren't even worthy of her. Every day he saw her with a new bloke. It took a lot of self-control not to march over to Buffy and rip her away from the ponce that she was with. He turned away when she started to play tonsil hockey with Owen Thurman, just another brainless jock. He wondered if she was secretly trying to torture him. Spike had to see that for over a week now and wasn't about to take much more of it. He finally had enough and grabbed his books, making his way out of the cafeteria and not looking back.

* * *

Spike was exhausted when he finally entered his house later that night. He spent a couple of hours at the Bronze, Sunnydale's only real club, before heading for home. He just needed time to himself and away from Buffy. His parents were out once again and probably wouldn't be back until really late. Spike was ready to sleep for about a year and made his way up the stairs, suddenly stopping at the sight of Buffy's bedroom door partly open. He peered inside, pure rage taking over his features at the form of Buffy lying on her bed, with Owen Thurman on top of her. He had to witness their disgusting displays at school, but he would be damned to deal with it at home. With that thought in mind, he burst through her door and caused them to jump at the interruption.

"What the bloody hell is going on?"

Owen instantly pulled away from her.

Spike saw red when he noticed that Buffy was in nothing but her knickers, another second and he would have been too late.

Buffy glared at him as she stood up. "God, do you know how to knock?"

Spike was surprised that was all she had to say. He turned and focused on the jock. "Why are you still here?"

Owen held his hands up and grabbed his shirt off of the floor, putting it on and glancing at Buffy. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, then left her room.

Buffy placed her hands on her hips. "What the hell is your problem, Spike?"

He was too distracted to hear what she said, too busy staring at her bare chest. Sure, he fantasized about seeing her topless before, but never thought he would get the chance to experience it. She didn't look all that embarrassed to be standing in front of him half naked.

Buffy noticed what had his attention and rolled her eyes. "Jeez, you're such a guy. Take a picture, it'll last longer."

That snapped him out of it as he stared at her, shaking his head. "Put something on, I can't talk to you like this."

Buffy grinned and moved closer to him. "Is this making you uncomfortable? I bet you've had a lot of naughty dreams about this very moment, haven't you? Admit it, Spike. I know you want me." She didn't really know that, but wanted to see how far he would go.

"You're off your bird. I'm trying to yell at you here, and this is very distracting."

Buffy stepped even closer to him, until her chest was almost pressed against his. "You wanna touch them? Come on, they don't bite."

Spike shut his eyes as she grabbed one of his hands and placed it over her left breast, forcing him to squeeze.

She let out a moan at the contact.

It was then that he opened his eyes, ripping his hand away from her as if burned. "Get dressed; I'll be in my room if you want to talk."

Buffy laughed as he hurried to get out of there. "He is so easy."

* * *

Spike was pacing his bedroom back and forth after what just happened with Buffy. He never in a million years thought that he would ever get to touch her there, but that wasn't how he wanted it to happen. It was all just a joke to her. Buffy didn't know of his feelings and would truly make fun of him if she ever found out. A throat being cleared in his doorway caused him to look up at her, relieved to see her wearing sweats now. Spike remained silent as she entered his room. He was stunned when she unexpectedly walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. He heard a sniffle and wondered if she was crying, but noticed that her eyes were dry once she gazed up at him.

"I'm sorry, Spike. I don't know what came over me."

He rubbed her back and took in a deep breath. "It's okay; you've been through a lot."

She shook her head. "That's no excuse for the way I've been treating you. The things I said a few weeks ago, you didn't deserve that. I know you were only trying to help. I just hate feeling like this. It's like one moment I'm perfectly fine. I'm happy and laughing with my friends at school, then the next moment I'm completely miserable. It comes out of nowhere and I hate it."

Spike didn't know what to say to that. He just held her for a while longer, until it was time for bed. Spike tucked her in later that night, planting a quick kiss to her forehead and watching as she drifted off to sleep. He then made his way back into his room and just lay there for what felt like forever, knowing that sleep would not come easy for him. This was the last time he was going to keep everything to himself. If Buffy had one more nightmare, he was going to come clean to his parents. She might be pissed at him, but he knew that she would eventually understand it was the right thing to do. He couldn't deal with Buffy all by himself anymore, being the only one that knew what was really going on with her. It was too much to handle. He was only one person and she needed real help, more than he could ever give her. Spike heard the scream coming from her room about an hour later and got out of bed. Yes, it was time that his parents finally knew the truth. Spike just hoped that she would be able to forgive him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 **

Buffy walked into the house after hanging with Faith at the Bronze for a few hours. It was a dead night, so she decided to leave earlier than planned. Buffy entered the living room and stopped suddenly at the sight of Spike sitting with Anne and Giles, all with what looked to be worried expressions on their faces. She moved further into the room.

"What's going on?"

Anne patted her son on the back as she stood up, knowing how hard this must be for him. "Honey, I think it's time that we had a talk."

Buffy glanced back and forth between them, confused about why they would need to talk. The guilty look on Spike's face made everything a bit more clear. "I can't believe this. You told them? How could you do that? I trusted you."

Spike saw the betrayal on her face and would give anything to take it away, but knew that he had to be strong about this. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know what else to do. You need help, Buffy. I can't do this alone anymore."

"Well, it's nice to know that I'm such a burden to you. Why don't you just throw me out in the streets if I'm too much trouble?" she spat, the second part more to the adults than him.

Giles decided to speak up. "We all love you, Buffy. William did the right thing by coming to us. We only want what is best for you."

Buffy threw her hands up in the air. "I'm not listening to this. I wish everyone would just stop telling me what's best for me. I'm the only one that gets to decide that. I don't need an intervention." She headed for the stairs, glancing back at Spike one more time. "I really hate you for this."

He watched with a heavy heart as she walked away, feeling the tears start to cloud his vision.

Anne wrapped her arms around him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "It will be all right, darling. She'll come around."

Spike wasn't as convinced. "And what if she doesn't? The way she looked at me, it feels like someone just ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it."

Giles took his glasses off to clean them. "We know you care for her, son."

Spike shook his head, not letting his father finish. "This goes way beyond caring, Dad." He stood up and moved away from them. "You don't know how hard it is to love someone that hates you. That look on her face will stay with me forever. Nothing I do will ever change that," with that said, he left the living room.

Anne gasped at her son's confession. She got up to go after him, only to be stopped by her husband's hand.

"Let him go, dear. There's nothing more we can do right now, just give them time. They are both good kids. I'm sure they'll work this out on their own."

Anne just nodded and really prayed that he was right.

* * *

Buffy was furious when she came up to her room and saw bars on the window. They must have gotten that done when she was at school. God, it felt like she was a prisoner in her own home. She had to get out of there. Buffy heard her door creak open and immediately knew it was him.

"Get out; I have nothing to say to you."

Spike never was one to do as he was told and stepped into her room, closing the door behind him. "Maybe I have something to say, then. When are you going to stop acting like such a brat?"

Buffy turned around in shock, that being the last thing she expected for him to say. "Excuse me?"

Spike knew there would be no backing down now. "You heard me. You know that I didn't do this to hurt you, Buffy. You're all I bloody care about, but you won't see it. You've gotten it in your head that I'm out to get you or something. God forbid that I actually do something to help you."

She glared at him. "And I told you that I didn't need your help."

He rolled his eyes. "Right, so that's not you yelling out my name at night when you have one of your bad dreams? That's not you asking me to stay to help you sleep afterwards? You know, I haven't had a good night's rest in weeks because I've been too busy worrying about you, but do I ever complain? No, because looking after you is more important to me. Keeping you safe is the only thing that matters."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "I never asked for you to keep me safe. I'm a big girl, Spike. I'm sick of everyone treating me like a little kid. Yes, my parents were murdered in front of me, but I'm not helpless because of it. The nightmares aren't a big deal; everyone has to deal with them at some point. I know it's only a matter of time before they go away. Again, I never asked for you to come into my room every night. If I was calling out your name, well, I obviously didn't realize I was doing it. You could still ignore me."

"Yeah, like I could really ignore that. You want to know why everyone treats you like a child, Buffy? That's because you constantly act like one. Going out and doing God knows what with Faith, bringing blokes back here that you hardly even know? Sneaking out of the house? That doesn't sound like anything a grown up would do," he explained.

"Well, maybe I would act more like a grown up if I had any freedom here. You had them put the bars on my window, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "It was for your own good. You could break your bloody neck climbing down that tree."

Buffy groaned in irritation. "For the last time, you don't get to decide what's for my own good. It's my life and I'll do whatever I want with it. You don't own me."

Spike clenched his fists at his side to try and control his anger.

Buffy noticed and gave a short laugh. "What are you gonna do? Hit me? Come on, Spike. I dare you."

"Don't tempt me," he practically growled.

She raised her head in defiance. "You wouldn't do anything to me and you know it. You don't have the guts. You're nothing but a pathetic Mama's boy. Ever since we were little, you were this annoying geek that would follow me around everywhere. You wouldn't have any friends right now if it wasn't for me. You would still be the same loser that would lock himself in his room every night to write lame poetry. Yeah, I know all about that."

He tried not to show how much her words hurt, instead letting his anger take over. "And I suppose being someone that would whore herself around is so much better? As Parker tells it, you would give it to anyone. I'm surprised you even resisted Angel, he seems to be just your type." Spike never saw it coming, until he felt the sting on his cheek. He rubbed the spot where she hit him, looking into her now wet eyes. "Buffy…" he started, but didn't get a chance to continue.

"I want you to get out," she said harshly. "You stay the hell away from me. I don't want anything else to do with you."

Spike wasn't about to leave now. Not when he caused her pain, it was the last thing he ever wanted to do. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did. It's nice to know what you really think of me. That you think I'm a slut just like everyone else."

He shook his head. "I don't think that, you just pissed me off. We have to stop doing this to each other, Buffy. I didn't mean what I said. You have to believe that. We always say things we don't mean when angered. I never wanted to hurt you."

Buffy kept backing away from him, right into her nightstand and knocking the picture over that was there. She glanced down at the fallen frame, picking it up to notice that the glass was shattered. She stared at the broken image of her parents. It was then that the floodgates seemed to open. Buffy could tell herself that she was okay as much as she wanted, but the truth was that the loss of her parents caused her to put up a wall around her heart. If she didn't let anyone in, then she wouldn't get hurt when they left her. Buffy didn't even realize she was doing that with Spike, but it all was beginning to make sense now. She placed the picture back on her nightstand and wiped at her eyes, gazing at his concerned face. "I think I'm ready to talk to someone now."

Spike gave her a small smile. It was a start.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Giles heard a soft knock on his office door, looking up to see Buffy standing there.

She waved shyly. "Could I talk to you?"

He nodded. "Of course, please come in."

Buffy stepped inside and sat down across from his desk. She took a deep breath and thought about how to start the conversation, but Giles beat her to it.

"I heard that you and William had a bit of an argument. I hope everything is all right between you two now."

She nodded as well. "Yeah, we're fine. I just felt that it would be better if I talked to you. I know that I can be a major pain and I've gotten into all kinds of trouble since I've been here, but I'm really grateful for everything that you and Anne have done for me. I don't know where I would be if you guys didn't take me in. I know it might seem like I don't care, but I really am glad to be here. I never really got to know my real dad. Sure, I had at least six years with him, but even then he was hardly ever around. From what I can remember, anyway. I just want you to know that you've been a really great father to me. You always put your family before anything else. It means a lot that I get to be a part of that."

Giles was touched at her words. "Well, you are a part of this family. We weren't capable of having any more children after William, so you being here has always been a blessing. We don't regret taking you in, Buffy. You've made quite the impression on all of us, especially William. You being here is probably the best thing to ever happen to him. I've seen a complete change in my son the last few years, and I'm sure it's mostly to do with you."

Buffy was shocked by that. "I always just figured that I caused so many problems for him, that maybe he would have been better off if I never came here."

Giles shook his head. "Nonsense, I'm positive he doesn't think that. I know you may feel that he betrayed you, but he only came to us because he cares for you. William would never do anything to hurt you, Buffy. He couldn't bear it."

Buffy agreed and rubbed her eyes, not even realizing that she was crying. "I know he wouldn't." She took another deep breath before saying the rest. "I've been having a lot of bad dreams lately. I think I'm ready to tell you about them. I've been keeping everything inside for too long now."

Giles smiled. "I have all the time in the world."

* * *

Spike found himself pacing his room again. Buffy was downstairs talking with his father and it seemed to be taking a long time. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. A part of Spike felt hurt that she wouldn't talk to him, but she needed another person's perspective on what she was going through. Rupert Giles was just the man for the job, but he was surely about to go crazy if he had to stay in his room for one more second. With that thought in mind, Spike grabbed his coat and headed downstairs. He peeked into the living room to see his mother watching the telly.

"I'm going out for a bit, Mum."

She waved her hand in the air, not bothering to glance away from the television set. "All right, do take a sweater."

Spike rolled his eyes, never had he ever worn a sweater. He just shook his head and left the house, getting into his car and driving to his destination.

* * *

The Bronze was packed that night. Spike glanced around at all of the dancing bodies on the floor, some a little too close for comfort. He headed to the bar and took a seat, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to have one drink. Luckily he looked older than he was and the bartender never asked for identification. Spike ordered a glass of Bourbon and turned to watch the dancing couples, the ones that weren't dancing were busy making out. He finished his drink quickly and headed over to the restrooms. Spike heard voices coming from the back, but didn't think much about it, until it was a voice that he recognized.

"I don't feel so hot," the female said.

"Come on, baby. I'll give it to you good. It's just the two of us. You'll feel better when I'm done with you."

Spike stepped behind the man, getting a little too friendly with the girl he was with.

"Now, it's just the three of us."

He pulled away from her, holding his hands up. "Hey, I was just having some fun. She was totally into it."

Spike glared at him, noticing the almost unconscious body of Faith next to him. "Somehow I doubt that. She's drunk off her arse, you wanker. Get out of my sight."

The man didn't have to be told twice and took off.

Spike moved over to Faith. "What have you gotten yourself into now, Lehane?" He gently picked her up. "Come on, it's time to get you home."

Once they were outside, Faith started to struggle in his arms.

Spike put her down on the ground, but kept one arm around her.

"Why are you helping me?" she wondered softly.

Spike shrugged. "You're Buffy's friend, so I guess that would make you mine. I couldn't just let that bloke take advantage of you." He placed her in the backseat of his car, then got in on his side and drove away from the club.

* * *

The lights were off when they arrived at Faith's house.

Spike figured that her mother was out and managed to get her to give him the key. He opened the door and helped her inside, sitting her down on the couch. "You could probably use some water."

Faith shook her head. "I'm fine, just come sit with me for a second."

Spike didn't know if it would be a good idea for him to stay there, but did as she said.

Faith rested her head against his shoulder. "You were always so good to me. Why did I let you go again?"

"I was the one that ended things, love."

She glanced up at him. "Oh, right, guess I forgot. I'm not really used to guys rejecting me. It wasn't because the sex was bad, right? If that was the case, then I really have a problem."

He chuckled. "No, I can safely say that had nothing to do with it."

"So, was it good? Did I rock your safe little world?"

Spike rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "You did at that, pet. Look, it just didn't work out because I wanted more than you did. The sex was bloody amazing. I won't lie to you, but I needed more. I want a real relationship and I just didn't see that happening with you."

Faith nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Buffy's the one you want, isn't she?"

Spike was surprised that she knew that, but wasn't about to deny it. "You could say that, but I doubt anything would come of it."

Faith sat up and tried to ignore the pounding in her skull. "If you have a thing for her, I say go for it. She won't be single forever. To be honest, I think you guys would be good together. I know I tease her a lot, but she's my girl. You're one of the good ones, Spike. I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have, but Buffy's really lucky to have a guy like you in her life. You should tell her how you feel. She might end up surprising you."

Spike thought about it and realized that for once, Faith made a lot of sense. "You're not so bad, Lehane. You know, once you get over being a complete bitch," he said teasingly. "I should get going, you need your rest. That's going to be one hell of a hangover."

Faith groaned and laid her head on the back of the couch.

Spike stood up and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you later, thanks for the chat." He had a smile on his face as he left her house, feeling hope for the first real time in a while.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Spike entered his room and found Buffy sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Hey, where have you been?"

He took his coat off and placed it over a nearby chair. "I was with Faith." The look on her face proved that he would have to clarify more than that. "I mean that I found her drunk at the Bronze and decided to take her home. We just talked for a bit."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you guys were actually civil with each other?"

"Stranger things have happened. I suppose she's not all that bad, just misunderstood."

She thought about this sudden change. "Would you still consider getting back with her?"

Spike laughed. "I may not completely detest her anymore, but there's no chance of that ever happening." He decided that a subject change was in order. "So, how did your talk go?"

She shrugged. "Better than I expected, Giles is pretty cool for an old guy. He just sat there and listened to whatever I had to say, no judging remarks or anything."

"I'm glad it went well. My dad has always been an easy person to talk to. Do you feel better now that everything is out in the open?"

Buffy nodded. "Actually, I do. I feel free for the first real time in my life."

He was taken by surprise when she hugged him, then pecked him on the cheek. It was always the bloody cheek.

"Thanks for everything, Spike. You had every reason to give up on me, but you didn't. I'm really glad to have a friend like you."

Spike gave her a somewhat sad smile. He was happy that she felt better, but knew that she would always just think of him as a friend. It didn't seem likely to change. "That's what I'm here for."

* * *

"How's it going?" 

Faith winced at Buffy's perky tone. "Do you have to be so damn loud?"

Buffy grinned. "I see someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Or should I say toilet? How much did you drink, anyway?"

Faith took a moment to think about it. "I have no idea. All I know is that I got into some stupid fight with my mom again, and had an urge to drink myself into a coma. I do remember coming on to this really hot guy, though. Oh, and I think Spike was there, but it's all fuzzy."

Buffy nodded. "Spike was the one that took you home. He found you naked and about to give the Bouncer a lap dance."

Faith's eyes widened. "Are you shitting me?"

Buffy had to laugh at the look on her friend's face. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. Your virtue is still intact. Well, what's left of it."

She sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that, B. So, Spike just took me home? Did anything else happen?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, he just said you guys talked, but wouldn't exactly go into the details. I think you guys had a moment, shame you don't remember it."

Faith cringed. "Unless that moment involved us screwing, I don't wanna remember it. That's it; I'm never drinking again."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, good luck with that."

* * *

"God, I love her. Check those out, man. Do you think they're real?" 

Spike groaned. "Bloody hell, Harris. It's a Playboy; chances are nothing is real in there."

Xander glared at him. "You can't just let me enjoy it, can you? Do you know how hard it was to sneak this away from my dad?"

Spike rolled his eyes and glanced in the distance to see Buffy and Faith sitting at a table together. He pointed in their direction. "Now, that right there is a real woman. She's bloody perfect."

Xander shrugged. "Yeah, Buffy's hot if you like that sort of thing, but she doesn't really do anything for me. Faith on the other hand, I wouldn't mind having a go with her."

Spike chuckled. "You and everyone else, Harris. That is assuming they haven't already."

"You would be one of them," he said, turning his attention back on the magazine in front of him.

That comment put Spike's laughter on hold. "That was a low blow, Whelp."

Xander didn't take his gaze off of the magazine, but let a smile form on his face.

* * *

Spike headed to his locker after school, but stopped when he noticed Angel laughing with a few of his jock friends. As he moved closer, he was able to make out what the ponce was saying. 

"I tell you, I haven't had such an easy lay in my life. Buffy was so tight; it's like being inside a virgin every time. I would definitely recommend it."

Spike heard enough and shoved Angel against his locker, causing the few loser friends he was chatting with to run off. "You wanna run that by me again, Peaches?"

Angel pushed Spike away from him. "What the hell is your problem? This doesn't even concern you."

"You're spreading shit about Buffy, so I would say that does concern me. She never would have touched you. It's pretty pathetic that you have to make up lies just to look good in front of your mates."

Angel scoffed. "I would have had her begging for it if you didn't show up. You jealous, Giles? It must have killed you to see her with me. She's a hot little thing, but not really worth it."

Spike punched the locker door right beside Angel. "Next time, that'll be your face. Stay away from Buffy."

He laughed. "Oh, this is too good. Are you in love with her or something?"

Spike didn't put much thought into what he was going to say, but just knew that he wanted to wipe that smirk off of the git's face. "So what if I am?" A gasp from behind had him turning around, only to see Buffy standing there, a shocked expression on her face. He immediately forgot about Angel. "Buffy, I can explain."

She just shook her head and took off running in the other direction.

Spike was silently cursing himself. That was definitely not how he wanted her to find out.

"I would say that went well. You're delusional if you actually think she'll ever love you, Giles. You're nothing but a freak. Girls like Buffy don't go for losers like you."

Spike pulled back his fist and popped Angel right in the face. He did warn him, after all.

Angel yelled out, clutching his nose in the process.

Spike then walked away, not even giving him a second glance. He had a girl to find.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Spike returned home later that day after his search for Buffy got him nowhere. He just hoped that she was already there. Spike got his wish when he entered his room and once again saw her sitting on his bed.

"Thank God, I was going crazy looking for you. Buffy, about what you heard today…"

She held up her hand to stop him, taking a deep breath. "Is there any way you said that just to piss Angel off?"

Spike shook his head and moved closer to her. "No, it was the truth. I just wasn't exactly planning on blurting it out like that."

Buffy glanced down to see his bruised knuckles. "You're hurt."

Spike noticed what she was referring to and shrugged. "You should see the other bloke," he said with a smile, then got to the point. "He was telling lies about you. Besides, I did warn him. Not my fault the bugger doesn't know how to listen."

That brought a small smile to her face, which she quickly wiped off. "You should put some ice on it."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Would you forget about my bloody hand? We need to talk, Buffy. You can't just avoid what happened today."

She threw her hands up in the air. "What do you want me to say, Spike? How am I supposed to deal with something like this? You've been like a brother to me for the last ten years."

He cringed at those words, never wanting her to think of him as a brother.

"Your parents practically adopted me, so excuse me for being a little freaked out. I think I'm allowed to be right now. Were you ever going to tell me?"

Spike took in a deep breath to hopefully calm himself. "I'm telling you now."

"Only because I overheard you, it's not like you could just deny what I heard. How long have you felt this way? How could I have never known?" she wondered.

"Well, you're not exactly very good at that sort of thing."

She glared at him. "Oh, that will get you lots of points. How long, Spike?"

He shut his eyes, opening them a second later to gaze into hers. "Since the beginning of sophomore year. It might have been before that, but I didn't realize it until then."

Her eyes widened. "So, you're saying that I've basically been oblivious for about two years now?"

"I wanted to tell you, pet. I thought about it so many bloody times, but I just didn't know how. I guess I wanted to avoid seeing the look of fear on your face, kind of like the one you're wearing now," he told her.

"Why would I be afraid?"

Spike stepped closer to her. "I love you, Buffy."

She turned away from him, but he wouldn't let her.

"No, don't do that. This is what I meant. You can't handle those words. I can already see you putting your wall back up to keep me out, but you don't have to do that with me. I'll do whatever I can to make you believe that I really do love you."

Buffy felt the tears in her eyes as she looked back at him. "It's hard to believe that anyone could love me, especially you. I've been so horrible to you, Spike."

He smiled warmly, wiping away one of her tears with his thumb. "Yeah, but that's just part of your charm."

She laughed a little at that.

"We've both said and done things that we're not proud of. You can be a right bitch sometimes and say cruel things, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to stop loving you. You're too far inside my heart now, Buffy. That's not about to ever change. You're it for me."

Buffy could tell how sincere he was, but was still having a hard time accepting it. "What do you want me to say?" she asked again.

Spike gave it some consideration this time. "The truth, even if it happens to be hurtful. I want you to tell me what's in your heart. If you really don't have any feelings for me, then I'll never bring this up again and we can try to get on with our lives."

She nodded. "And if I do?"

Spike felt hope in those words, but couldn't be sure if they really meant anything. "Then we'll see what happens; take it one day at a time. It's up to you."

"You're just going to let me be the one to decide what happens?"

Spike nodded as well. "It's your call, Buffy."

She took a moment before answering him. "I don't know what I want. I think I need time to think about this, Spike. It's all a lot to take in."

Spike ran his hands down her arms to assure her that he was all right with her choice. "It's fine, you take all the time you need. It's not like I'm going anywhere. Hell, I'm just relieved that you didn't kick me in the head and throw me out of here."

Buffy was having a hard time paying attention to his words; too busy focusing on the chills that went up her spine at his touch. She never reacted like that to Spike before, then smiled when his words finally registered with her. "This is your room, I can't kick you out."

Spike returned her smile. "Oh, you would find a way." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and suddenly felt nervous. "Buffy, can I tell you something that I've wanted to say for a long time now?"

Buffy only nodded and hoped that she wouldn't regret it.

Spike took another deep breath, letting it out after a few seconds. "You're so bloody gorgeous. When you get all angry at me, your eyes shine and your nose scrunches up in the most adorable way. It really turns me on."

She laughed and slapped his chest playfully. "Is that why you keep pissing me off?"

He grinned. "You could say that."

Buffy shook her head. "You're unbelievable, but now I'm curious about something. You technically had these feelings for me while you were Faith, then. I have to say, that's kinda creepy." She paused when something occurred to her. "God, please don't tell me you were thinking of me when you were with her?" The guilty look on his face was all that she needed to know. "Okay, forget I asked. I think I've heard enough for one night. Well, one more thing. Why were you with her?"

"I was sixteen and wanted to get laid, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Nothing I'm really proud of, though."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, my questions are done now. I'll just talk to you tomorrow."

Spike grabbed her arm before she could leave. "We're okay, right?"

Buffy nodded again and was about to press a quick kiss to his cheek, but he turned and caused her to get his lips instead. She pulled away in surprise.

"I was getting sick of the bloody cheek," he explained coyly.

Buffy had to smile. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Spike."

He let out a sigh once she left the room, feeling his heart swell. The conversation went a lot better than he thought it would. Spike spent a little time actually doing homework before he decided to turn in. He lay down in his bed later, once again staring up at the ceiling. He didn't understand why, but just knew that Buffy would not be having a nightmare that night. It wasn't long until he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, with a soft smile on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Buffy was seething as she watched them across the cafeteria. Drusilla Edwards was a total skank, and she was currently draping herself all over Spike. He looked to be annoyed by the other girl's presence, but not enough to push her away.

"God, can you believe her? She's just thrusting her breasts in his face like some cheap whore."

Faith grinned. "Well, someone is a little jealous. I wouldn't worry too much about her, but I have an idea. I'll hold her down, while you beat the crap out of her. Should be lots of fun."

Buffy gave it some thought, then shook her head. "I doubt that would really solve anything. Although, it would make me feel a whole lot better. Spike said that he loved me. You don't think he would have lied about that, do you?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Right, because guys never lie when they say that. Spike has it bad for you, B. He probably just doesn't wanna be rude to Elvira. I don't think it means anything."

Buffy really hoped that she was right.

* * *

Spike sighed in relief when he made it to his locker after school. Drusilla had been pestering him all day, and he finally got rid of her. He didn't know why she was suddenly interested in him, but it made Spike very uncomfortable. He groaned when someone tapped him on the shoulder. 

"What the bloody hell do you want now?" he wondered in irritation, turning around to see that it wasn't the person he expected.

"That was rude. I haven't even talked to you today."

Spike shook his head. "Sorry, love, I thought you were Drusilla."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "And why were you expecting her?"

"I wasn't, she just won't take the hint. You don't know how much I wanted to tell her to bugger off at lunch; I was just trying to be polite. I regret that now."

She nodded. "Yeah, I saw you with her. What's her deal, anyway?"

Spike shrugged. "Apparently, she had a bit of a thing going on with Angel, but he dumped her for that Darla chit. I guess she's on the rebound and chose me for some odd reason."

"I know why she chose you. Drusilla wanted to get back at Angel and since you guys can't stand each other, she figured you would be the perfect choice. That's so typical of her."

Spike agreed and really wanted to ask her if she was jealous, but didn't get the chance at the sound of a commotion coming from the distance.

They exchanged looks with each other, then headed off to see what the fuss was all about.

Buffy's eyes widened when she saw a group of kids forming around what looked to be Faith and Drusilla, both girls rolling around on the floor and throwing kicks and punches at each other. She knew that someone had to break it up before a teacher decided to.

Spike ran over to the girls and pulled Faith away from Drusilla, not knowing why he thought she would be the easier out of the two. She struggled in his grasp, but he wouldn't let go.

Buffy saw that Drusilla wasn't finished and grabbed the dark haired girl around the waist, before she could do anymore damage to her friend.

Drusilla was infuriated and shoved Buffy away from her. She quickly turned around and slapped the blonde in the face, causing her to fall and hit her head on a nearby locker.

Spike was pissed off when he witnessed that, letting Faith go and grabbing hold of Drusilla to stop her from moving over to Buffy. "Okay, I've had just about enough of you crazy bints to last me a lifetime."

Drusilla relaxed in his embrace, grinning as she reached behind her to squeeze his crotch.

Spike leapt away from her in shock. "You really are a crazy bitch, you know that? You're just lucky I don't hit women."

She stepped closer to him. "The sunshine isn't good enough for you, William."

"What the hell does that even mean? You know what? I don't even care. Just stay away from me." He didn't give Drusilla another thought as he walked away from her, heading over to Buffy and helping her up.

She rubbed her head, but luckily didn't hit it too hard.

He looked at her in concern. "You okay, love?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, remind me to never get involved in one of Faith's fights again."

Spike smiled. "I'll be sure to do that." He noticed that Drusilla was gone and the crowd went elsewhere, but saw that Faith was still there. He pointed at her. "I'm going to bloody kill you. What the hell were you thinking?"

She held her hands up. "Hey, I was just helping out Buffy. She was saying some shit about getting with you, and I knew Blondie wasn't likely to do anything to her. I just wanted to shut her up. The slut had it coming," Faith explained, then focused on Buffy. "Sorry you had to get hurt, B. I was just trying to help."

"I appreciate it, but that's not really the help I need. Drusilla's all talk, it's not like she would really have a chance with Spike. I'm not worried about her."

Spike put his arm around Buffy, placing a kiss to her cheek. "You never have anything to worry about with me, pet. I can't imagine anyone finding that chit's crazy ramblings attractive."

Faith touched her heart. "Aww, that's so sweet. I think I'm gonna hurl," she said teasingly.

Spike rolled his eyes and led Buffy out of the school, Faith right behind them.

* * *

A car crashed into the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign. A man stepped out, a cigarette resting in his mouth as he took in his surroundings. Never in a million years did he think that he would be coming back to this town. It had been about ten years since he set foot there, but knew that he couldn't stay away forever. A friend of his was killed recently in the line of duty, and he decided to pay his respects. No matter how many bad memories Sunnydale provided.

* * *

Buffy sat up in bed, glancing next to her to see that Spike was still sleeping peacefully. She lay back down and wondered if the nightmares would ever go away, but this time it was different. She didn't dream about the past, but about something that had yet to happen. The same man that invaded her dreams was there, but he wasn't dealing with a six-year-old Buffy. He was dealing with a sixteen-year-old Buffy. She didn't know what to make of that, usually she remained a child in her nightmares. The man also took on an older appearance, as if that was how he would look now. Buffy let out a sigh when Spike moved closer to her side, placing an arm around her. Even in his sleep, he was always trying to protect her. Buffy decided not to worry about her dreams anymore, they would go away eventually. She only snuggled up closer to Spike and drifted back off to slumber. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"So, I guess you made your decision."

Buffy smiled, giving his earlobe another tug. "What gave it away?"

Spike groaned at the feel of her nibbling his neck. "The fact that you seem to be set on giving me a hickey. Not that I'm complaining."

She laughed. "I didn't realize this was such a sensitive spot for you."

"You put your lips on any part of my body and it's sensitive." He gently pushed her away, so he could look into her eyes. "As much as I'm enjoying what you're doing, where did this come from? I thought you weren't ready yet."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I gave it a lot of consideration the last few days. I know it's not the best reason, but seeing you with Drusilla made me a bit crazy. I realized that I could lose you if I didn't come up with a choice soon."

He shook his head. "You won't lose me, Buffy. I'm not interested in Drusilla or anyone else at that school. You don't need to rush this, I'll still be here. No matter what you decide."

Buffy threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "I'm done thinking about it, Spike. I finally know what I want," she whispered, then pressed her lips to his.

* * *

"Okay, I'm really gonna hurl if you two don't cut it out. I think I would rather have things go back to the way they were." 

Buffy pulled away from Spike, with a glare to her friend. Her lips plump and red from his kisses. "You can't just let me be happy, can you?"

Faith shrugged. "It's just not right when you're getting some and I'm not. What's with this public display of affection, anyway?" She turned to Spike. "We never made out in the cafeteria for all to see. You always took me to the janitor's closet."

He looked away from her gaze, a guilty expression on his face.

Faith had a feeling about what it meant. "I don't believe this. You were embarrassed to be seen with me? How is that even possible? I was supposed to be embarrassed of you."

Spike rolled his eyes, but chose to ignore her when Buffy planted kisses to his neck. He moaned and got right back to their make out session.

Faith wasn't amused. "I can see that you guys are in your own little world over there, so I'm just gonna go," she said, noticing that they wouldn't even budge. "God, get a room."

* * *

"For once, Faith has a good idea." 

Spike chuckled, making himself more comfortable on his bed.

They skipped out during lunch and headed straight for home, not even bothering to go back to the school. There was only one class left, anyway.

Spike lifted Buffy's shirt up, smothering kisses on her stomach. He knew they were probably moving too fast, but couldn't seem to stop. Not when he had waited so long to have her.

She giggled. "Hey, that tickles."

He glanced up at her. "Oh, did I actually manage to find one of your weaknesses?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Spike grinned, then attacked her with his fingers.

Buffy squealed as she tried to get away from him. "Okay, I give, stop torturing me already."

Spike figured that she had enough and put his tickling on hold. He gazed down into her flushed face, feeling his breath catch in his throat. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, trailing a finger down her cheek. "I noticed that you stopped wearing so much make up, and here I was thinking that you never listened to me."

"It wasn't just because of you. I did it for myself, too. It's way too much effort to put all that crap on my face every morning."

Spike agreed. "Well, either way, you look gorgeous."

Buffy blushed and turned away from him.

"Don't be getting all shy on me now, pet. You're going to have to get used to me complimenting you. That's never going to stop."

She met his eyes again. "I think I can handle that."

* * *

Spike grabbed Buffy when she started to thrash around in her bed, pulling him out of sleep. He wrapped his arms around her, quietly singing a lullaby that his mum used to sing to him when he was a child. He came to realize that worked with her. Spike sighed in relief when she started to calm down and relax in his embrace. He could clearly see the tears in her eyes as she kept them closed, wondering what she was dreaming about this time. He wiped one of her tears away, resting his forehead against hers. 

"You're safe, sweetheart. No one will ever hurt you. The bad man is gone, Buffy. He won't come near you, not while I'm around. It's all going to be okay. I love you," he whispered the last part and noticed that her eyes were starting to flicker open, until she was staring right into his.

"Promise?" she wondered softly.

He nodded and pressed a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "You have my word, love. I'll never let anything happen to you."

She smiled, feeling her eyes start to close again. "I know."

* * *

"Do you think this is the best idea, William?" 

Spike hated to be called by his given name, but knew telling his father that would get him nowhere. "I love her, Dad. You've known of my feelings for a while now. I know this is probably not what you want, but I can't stop the way I feel."

Giles shook his head. "Of course not, but are you sure this is what you really want? Buffy is a part of this family, that could make it very awkward for the both of you."

"I've thought about that, but I don't care. If things don't work out with us, well, I guess I'll worry about that if it happens. I know that I don't plan to let her go. I just hope you and Mum can accept that."

Giles cleaned his glasses when he thought of his wife. "You do know that your mother might not handle this very well, don't you? She always just assumed you thought of Buffy as a sister, this would be a lot for her to take in."

Spike nodded. "I know, but I'm sure she'll come around. Once she sees how much we mean to each other, I know she'll understand. Just please, don't tell her. This is something that needs to come from me. I'm not ready for her to know yet."

"Well, after your announcement a couple of weeks ago, she may already have some idea."

Spike forgot about that for a second. "She probably doesn't realize just how much I meant what I said. I just need more time, Dad. Mum is an old fashioned woman. She didn't even have sex until she was married." He cringed at just the thought of that.

Giles raised his eyebrows. "Have you and Buffy ever…?"

Spike finished for him. "No, we haven't, but it's going to happen. I'm not about to wait for marriage. Not that it would matter since I'm technically not even a virgin, anyway."

Giles held his hand up. "Let's never speak of that, I don't want to think about my son already being sexually active. I won't tell your mother, but I don't know how long you would be able to keep this from her."

"It won't be for too long. I just need at least one or two weeks."

Giles nodded after a moment. "All right, but there will need to be some rules involved. Nothing is to be done under this roof, is that clear? I'm too young to become a grandfather."

Spike grinned. "I'll keep that in mind. We'll just have lots of sex at school instead," he said teasingly, then left his father's office.

Giles stared after him in shock. "William, that better be a joke!" he yelled after him, only to be greeted by his son's laughter. "I'll never understand that boy."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 **

_"I don't wanna go. Can't I just stay in junior high?" _

_William laughed. "You might like high school. It's not so bad." _

_Buffy shook her head. "Didn't you say the bullies shoved you in your locker? I don't want that to happen to me." _

_"Trust me; you won't have to worry about that." _

_Buffy wasn't easily convinced. "What if no one likes me?" _

_He put his arm around her. "How can anyone not like you? I'll be right there with you, Buffy. You won't have to deal with it alone." _

_Buffy smiled and ruffled his hair, which she knew he hated, but wasn't likely to tell her that. "Thanks, Spike, you always look out for me." _

_He raised his eyebrows. "Spike?" _

_She nodded. "Yeah, your hair is all sticking up now. It looks like a bunch of spikes." _

_A grin formed on his lips. "I think I like that."_

* * *

  
"Spike, where the hell are you? This isn't funny anymore." She let out a squeal when he attacked her from behind, grabbing her around the waist and wrestling her onto the couch. "You so don't play fair," she said through her laughter.

He grinned from on top of her. "I never said I did."

"I don't think playing hide and seek is the same as when we were little. Besides, I didn't even get a chance to find you."

Spike shrugged and moved off of her. "It's not my fault you suck at this game."

She slugged him on the arm. "You'll get it later."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Is that a promise?"

Buffy's response was to grab him by the shirt and smash her lips to his, slipping her tongue into his mouth.

Spike returned the kiss just as eagerly, never wanting to stop. They had only been together for about two weeks now, but he never felt closer to her. He quickly removed her blouse, then spread kisses down her neck and chest.

Buffy moaned and tried to divest of his shirt, pulling it out of his pants. She only managed to lift it halfway up, when someone cleared a throat from the entryway and caused them to instantly pull away from each other. Buffy gasped at the sight of Giles and Anne standing there in shock, quickly grabbing her shirt and putting it back on.

Giles cleaned his glasses. "Well, I would say this is a good way to break the news," he said sarcastically.

Spike looked embarrassed, running his fingers through his hair. "Mum, we can explain."

Anne finally broke out of her stupor at the sound of her son's voice. "William, what is the meaning of this?" She turned to her husband. "And why do I think you knew something about it?"

Giles looked away from his wife's gaze.

Spike stood up and moved over to her. "Dad knew about us, but I told him not to tell you. I wasn't ready for you to know yet, but I guess now is a good enough time." He reached his hand out to Buffy, pulling her off of the couch. "We're together now, Mum. We have been for a couple of weeks."

Anne placed her hand over her heart. She had some idea about the two of them, but never would have expected to be right. "When did this happen?"

Spike took a deep breath. "I've been in love with Buffy for years. She decided to give me a chance and I wasn't about to turn that down. I know this is a lot to take in, but we hope you can accept it. I'm sorry for what you saw when you walked in, that wasn't supposed to happen."

Giles decided to speak up. "Yes, nothing was supposed to be happening inside this house, especially not while we were out. I will be speaking to you about that later, William, but it's late right now. I think we all just need a good night's rest."

Spike agreed and grasped Buffy's hand tighter, leading her out of the living room and up the stairs.

Giles put his arm around his stunned wife. "Come along, darling."

"I just can't believe this. They're only babies."

Giles graced her with a soft smile. "They're not children any longer, love. William has always been very mature for his age. I believe Buffy would be good for him. He cares for her very deeply, we've witnessed that enough times by now. I'll speak to both of them tomorrow and make sure that what we witnessed is not to happen again, but I'm afraid we won't be able to stop them from being together if that is what they wish. We have to let them grow up and make their own mistakes. How else would they learn?"

Anne nodded. "I know. We'll discuss this in the morning."

Giles nodded as well and followed his wife to their room, but knowing that sleep would not come easily that night.

* * *

"God, I can't believe they walked in on that. It's just a good thing nothing more was going on, but this is so embarrassing. What if they hate me now? What if they want to kick me out?"

Spike grabbed her shoulders to stop her pacing. "Sweetheart, you're making me dizzy. My parents love you, there's no way they would ever throw you out. You don't have to worry about that."

She let out a long breath. "Do you think they would stop us from seeing each other? That might be kinda hard since your room is right across from mine."

He smiled. "I already talked with my dad; he wasn't against us seeing each other. Everything will work out, I believe that. My parents can be old fashioned, but they're very understanding people. All they care about is our happiness. Let's just get to bed, all right? To be on the safe side, we should probably sleep in our own rooms tonight. Are you going to be okay with that?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, the dreams haven't been so bad lately. I'll be fine."

Spike kissed her forehead, then gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight, love. If you need me for anything, you know where I'll be."

"I'll keep that in mind, but I'll be okay. I'm a big girl, right?"

He tapped the tip of her nose. "That you are. Sweet dreams, baby."

She smiled as well. "Same to you."

Spike gave her one more kiss before leaving her room, closing the door behind him.

Buffy undressed and changed into her pajamas, getting under the covers and gazing up at the ceiling. She felt safe at the thought of Spike so close to her, but really got used to him being in her bed. Buffy knew that she had to sleep by herself for a change. She had to prove to herself that she could do it, and that the nightmares didn't control her. With that thought in mind, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 **

"This is nice. Being out in public and not having to hide, I could get used to it."

Spike squeezed her hand that was resting in his. "See, I told you everything would work out."

Buffy agreed. "I guess we didn't have anything to worry about." She was too busy looking at Spike to pay attention to where she was going, but regretted it when she collided with a hard body.

"Hey, watch where you're going."

Spike glanced at the man they crashed into. "Sorry about that."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you kids just need to pay more attention."

Spike turned to Buffy to see that she was white as a sheet, almost as if she saw a ghost. "Are you okay, love?"

Buffy broke out of her reverie at the sound of his voice. "Yeah, we have to go now." She pulled him away, without bothering to wait for a response.

The man stared after them in confusion, but something seemed oddly familiar about that girl. He shrugged it off and headed into the Espresso Pump, where he was meeting a friend. "The kids in this town really seem to be in their own little world," he said, taking a seat across from a dark haired man.

Dan Saunders agreed. "I could have told you that, Jake."

"That girl didn't even bother to apologize; I'd hate to be the one raising her."

Dan took in a deep breath. "You know who that kid is? That's Buffy Summers; I've been in this town long enough by now to know that. She's been living with the Giles family. In fact, that was the Giles boy she was out with. I caught everything through the window."

Jake paled at that realization. "Summers? As in Hank Summers?"

Dan nodded. "Yeah, the girl whose parents you whacked. I'm sure you remember that."

He glared at his friend. "Not exactly something I can forget. Shit, did you see the way she looked at me? She definitely recognized me. I knew coming back to this hellhole would be a mistake."

"Now, don't go jumping to conclusions. It was ten years ago. If she hasn't said anything yet, I doubt she's going to. The kid is probably too chicken."

Jake shook his head. "I can't risk it. I've come too far to get locked up now. No, I have to make sure she never talks."

* * *

"Buffy, what's wrong?" 

She ignored him, running into the house and all the way upstairs.

Giles came out of the kitchen. "Son, what happened?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't know. She wouldn't talk to me the whole way home. Something doesn't feel right." He took off after her, finding that her door was slightly open. He found Buffy lying on her bed, her head buried in her pillow. Spike moved closer and sat down on the edge of her bed. "You're not going back to shutting me out, are you? We've been making so much progress."

Buffy turned her head in his direction, wiping her wet eyes.

Spike felt concerned at the sight of her tears. "You're really starting to scare me now, Buffy. What's wrong? Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"You'll think I'm crazy," she finally spoke.

"Hey, I never thought you were crazy. I'm not about to start thinking that now."

She sat up and clutched her pillow to her chest. "That man we saw today. He…He was the one that killed my parents. I know how it sounds, but I will never forget that face. It was him, I know it was. That's why I had to get away."

Spike ran his fingers soothingly down her arms, not sure what to think about this turn of events. "I believe you, but you have to tell someone. This has gone on long enough, Buffy. You have to tell the police what you know. I'm sure they would love to get their hands on him after all these years. Your parents were very loved in this town; I know catching that bloke would make everyone happy. You can't keep quiet about this anymore."

Buffy knew that he was right, even though she still dreaded going to the police. "Do you think he recognized me?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, it didn't seem like he did. You were only six then, I think it's safe to say that he had no clue who you were."

Buffy sighed in relief. "So, what do we do?"

"First, we're going to tell my parents. They have a right to know, then we'll go to the police station. It's going to be okay, pet. Soon, this will all be over."

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?" 

Jake sighed in annoyance. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making sure my gun is loaded."

Dan grabbed him by the shoulders. "What? You're just gonna shoot her? That's your big plan?"

Jake pulled away from him. "You got any better ideas? All I care about is shutting her up. This seems to be the best way to do it."

"She's just a little girl, Jake."

He rolled his eyes. "Is that supposed to mean something to me? I was willing to kill her after I took out the parents. If it wasn't for the damn cops, I would have done it. Killing some brat is no problem for me; I gotta do whatever I have to."

Dan let out the breath he was holding. "Just think about this first, okay? We could kidnap her or something; maybe convince her not to go squealing. Threaten her with the gun; it'll scare the pants off her that she's bound to not say anything."

"And you really think that'll be enough?" Jake wondered.

"You never know. I just think we need to find a less messy way to do things for a change. You're getting too careless, Jake. You broke into the Summers house and offed the parents without even taking into consideration that they might have a kid."

Jake shrugged. "It's what I do. I wasn't about to ask them first. I get hired to do a job and I do it, no questions asked. The boss wanted Hank dead, so I made it happen. At least I didn't leave the wife alive. And now, I'll make sure that little brat joins her parents."

Dan had to make his friend listen somehow; this wasn't the way to go about it. "Let's just try it my way. If that doesn't work, then you can shoot her. I won't stop you."

Jake nodded after a moment, patting the other man on the back. "Fine, I'll let you call the shots. One way or another, this kid won't be breathing a word to anyone. I'll see to that."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Do you think everything will work out?"

Spike nodded, pulling her closer to his side on the blanket that he set out for them. He figured it would be a nice distraction to take her to the beach, they both loved the ocean. "I have no doubts that it will. We talked to my parents and the police, there's nothing more you can do right now. They said they would keep a lookout for him, so you don't have to worry. I'll be here with you through everything, okay?"

Buffy rested her head against his shoulder. "Thanks for bringing me here. The ocean is so beautiful at night. It's the best time to come; we don't have to worry about it being crowded."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek, gazing up at the stars.

She broke the silence a moment later. "Spike, have you ever thought about having sex with me?"

Spike glanced at her, not expecting that question. "Where did that come from?"

Buffy shrugged. "I was just wondering."

"There isn't a day when I don't think about making love to you, but I'm not about to rush that. I'll wait for whenever you're ready, there's no hurry."

She nodded and took a deep breath before answering him. "What if I said that I'm ready now?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"We have the whole beach to ourselves. It doesn't get any more romantic than that. We promised Giles that we wouldn't do anything in the house, so we technically won't be breaking the rules."

Spike laughed. "I can't argue with you there, but I don't exactly have any condoms on me."

She moved on top of him, staring down into his eyes. "It's okay, I'm on the pill. So, what do you say?"

Spike caressed her cheek, softly kissing her on the lips.

Buffy moaned, slipping her tongue into his mouth. She would take that as a yes.

He pulled away to look at her. "Once we do this, there's no going back. You know that, right?"

She nodded again. "I won't have any regrets."

That was all Spike needed as he captured her lips again. Luckily, he'd brought an extra blanket and placed it over them once their clothes were removed. "Are you comfortable?"

Buffy smiled down at him. "Very, who needs a bed? If you ask me, they're highly overrated."

Spike chuckled and kissed her again, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. He gently stroked her stomach.

Buffy gasped into his mouth.

Spike grinned at her reaction to a simple touch.

"I need you inside me," she whispered.

Spike wasn't one that needed to be told twice. He grabbed her waist and lifted her up a bit, positioning her over him.

Buffy decided to take control after that and slammed down, taking him all the way in.

"God, you're so bloody tight."

She smiled and moved up and down, throwing her head back.

Spike moaned as she squeezed him, never having felt anything as amazing in his life.

Buffy lowered her head and kissed him passionately.

Spike trailed his hands down her back, settling them on her hips as he helped her bring them both closer to the brink.

She moved her mouth down to his neck, lightly biting him as she found release.

Spike right behind her; his neck had always been a sensitive spot for him.

Buffy was breathing hard as she remained on top of him.

Spike fingered the strands of her long hair. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

Buffy held him tighter, knowing that it was time to stop being afraid of those words. "I love you, too."

He smiled against her hair, feeling beyond ecstatic. "We should probably head home. It's getting late."

"Just hold me for a little while longer."

Spike nodded. "I can do that."

* * *

"God, how can you live like this?"

Faith took offense to that. "Hey, you can still see the floor, so it's not that bad."

Buffy managed to find a spot to sit on the bed, looking at all of the photos that were laying there. "Are you going down memory lane or something?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Hardly, I'm just trying to find pictures for that lame Art project at school. I don't know why I took this class. I'm not the creative type, just figured it would be simple. I was wrong. Who knew that finding family photos would be so hard? There's hardly any of me and my mom together. She hates having her picture taken."

Buffy browsed through a few and realized that Faith was right. "Do you have any of your dad?"

She scoffed. "Please, my mom made sure to burn all of those. She doesn't even like to talk about him, so I doubt she would wanna look at him."

"What happened to him? I don't think you ever mentioned that."

Faith shrugged. "He was a lowlife basically, walked out on us when I was about four-years-old. If you ask me, we're better off without him. I'm glad to have never gotten a chance to know him. He obviously never wanted me. And you wonder why I'm such a screw up?"

Buffy shook her head. "You're not a screw up, but that's horrible. I don't understand how someone could just leave their family." She searched through more of the pictures, her face paling when she came across one and picked it up. "Faith, who's this?"

The brunette glanced at the photo, taking on a look of puzzlement. "How the hell did that get in there? That's my old man; I guess it's one my mom forgot to burn."

Buffy dropped the picture and stood up, taking a few steps away from the bed. "I have to go."

Faith gazed at her in confusion. "You just got here."

Buffy nodded and moved over to the doorway. "Yeah, but I just remembered that I had some errands to run for Anne. I should probably get on that, so I'll just see you at school." She hurried out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind her.

Faith turned back to the pictures, shrugging at the blonde's quick departure. She snatched up the one that Buffy was looking at and crumbled it up, throwing it into her garbage can without giving it a second thought.

* * *

Buffy was walking the streets of Sunnydale, lost in thought. She couldn't believe what she just saw, but didn't have much time to think about it. She was on her way to meet Spike at the Bronze, her head down and once again not paying attention to where she was going. Buffy crashed into someone, looking up and ready to apologize, when her throat suddenly turned dry.

"Hello, sweetheart. This is a nice surprise."

Buffy was about to scream, but a hand clapped over her mouth from behind. She started to feel dizzy from the cloth that was pressed against her nose and mouth, then passed out into the man's arms.

"See, that wasn't so hard. Let's get her out of here," Dan said frantically, not wanting to get caught.

Jake stared down at the unconscious girl in his friend's arms, knowing by the expression on her face that she definitely recognized him. "I'll take her; you just bring the car around."

Dan nodded and went to do just that.

Jake picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. When Dan finally showed up with the van, he placed her in the backseat and closed the door, getting in on the passenger side. "You better hope no one saw us."

"It was a dark alley. No one would be out there; everyone is probably too busy inside the club. Kids today, that's all they do," Dan replied, driving away from the Bronze.

Neither one noticed the young girl that was hiding behind the dumpster.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Spike was worried when Buffy never showed up at the Bronze. He wondered if she was still at Faith's house and just lost track of time, so he left the club to find out.

"B took off about an hour ago, said she had some errands to run for your mom."

Spike raised his eyebrows in confusion, glancing around the brunette's room. It had been a while since he set foot in there. "I didn't know anything about that. Are you sure that's what she said?"

Faith nodded. "Yep, but now that I think about it, she acted kinda strange. She was fine until she saw this picture of mine, then suddenly had an urge to leave."

"What picture?" he wondered.

Faith sighed and went over to her garbage can, taking out the crumpled up paper that she put in there earlier. She handed it to him. "It's a picture of my old man. We don't like to keep any of him around, so I threw it out. Buffy had this weird look on her face when she saw it."

The guy in the photo looked vaguely familiar to Spike. It only took a second for him to recognize who it was. "Bloody hell, it can't be."

"What's the big deal with this picture?"

Spike turned back to Faith. "This is the bloke that killed Buffy's parents when she was a child. We ran into him the other day and Buffy's been out of it ever since."

Faith needed to sit down, feeling that her legs were about to give out. "You're sure it's the same guy?"

Spike put the picture down, knowing this couldn't be easy for her. "Positive, I better go look for Buffy. She probably just went home."

Faith grabbed his arm before he could leave. "Did you go to the cops with this?"

He nodded. "We didn't have much of a choice. Buffy gave them his description; it's up to them to find him now."

Faith nodded as well. "Good, that's good. I hope they fry the bastard," she said harshly.

Spike sat down beside her on the bed. "It'll be okay, Faith."

She stood and moved away from him, throwing her hands in the air. "How the hell will it be okay? Not only does my loser of a father walk out on us when I was a kid, but now I find out that he was responsible for taking the parents away from my best friend? There is nothing okay about that." Faith hated to cry, absolutely hated it. She never liked to show such a weakness, but was finding it hard to stop her tears now.

Spike got up and went to her side, wrapping his arms around her as she cried on his shoulder. "He won't hurt anyone else again, love. Somehow, I'll see to that."

* * *

"Thank you, officer." Giles closed the door and headed back into the living room to join the rest of his family.

"What did he say?" Spike wondered.

Giles took his glasses off. "They don't normally look for a missing person, until they've been gone for at least twenty-four hours."

Spike was outraged. "And that's it? We just wait here and hope that she comes back? It's been hours, Dad. Buffy would never be gone for this long. She would have called or something."

Giles tried to calm his son down. "I convinced them to search for her. With that man on the loose, they're taking extra precautions. I'm sure Buffy is all right. She'll come home when she's ready."

"But what if she doesn't? What if she's really hurt somewhere? I'm going out to look for her."

Anne shook her head. "I won't have you go missing, too. I believe that it would be best if we all stayed here. The police will look for Buffy; we won't be of much help. It's getting late, I think we should just try and get some sleep."

Spike didn't know how he could even think about sleep with Buffy gone, but he just nodded and made his way upstairs. All he could do was pray that she would be okay.

* * *

Buffy felt a pounding in her skull once she awoke, trying to get her eyes to adjust and look around at her surroundings. She could only see a lot of boxes and crates, figuring that she must be in some kind of shed or warehouse. She tried to move, but noticed that her hands and feet were tied up.

"I see you're awake now. I wouldn't do that, you'll only hurt yourself."

Buffy stopped pulling at the rope and glared at the man that decided to grace her with his presence. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

He smiled. "I'm Dan; we only wanna talk to you. If you cooperate, you won't get hurt."

Buffy shuddered, the events of the night coming back to her. "We?" she asked shakily. It was then that another man showed up. She gasped and pulled more at the ropes, trying to get free.

Jake moved closer and kneeled down at her side. "Now, that's really not necessary. I only want to have a word with you."

Buffy flinched when he placed his hand on her leg, but remained still after that.

"That's a good girl. I'm sure you know who I am, just as I know who you are. I like to think I'm a pretty private man, so it would just ruin everything to have the cops on my back. I just wanna keep you quiet, that's all I care about. So, if you promise not to squeal to the coppers about who I am, then I'll let you go. It's as simple as that."

Buffy raised her chin in defiance. "How do you know that I haven't already told them?"

He laughed, pulling the gun out of his back pocket and tracing the weapon down her cheek. "Well, then I guess you would have a problem."

Dan grabbed his arm. "You said it wouldn't come to that."

Jake glared at him. "If she already told the police, then all bets are off. They could show up at any minute. We shoot the brat and get the hell out of town. That sounds like a good plan to me." He turned back to Buffy, pointing the gun in her direction.

Buffy didn't know what to do, but had to think of something fast. "Wait, I know Faith."

Jake lowered the gun at that name, his eyes widening.

Buffy figured that was some progress and continued. "She's your daughter, right? We go to school together; I'm her only real friend. I don't think she would like it if you killed me."

Dan had a look of confusion on his face. "What is she talking about, Jake? I didn't know you had a kid."

"I don't, she's just making shit up to avoid getting a bullet in her brain."

Buffy shook her head. "You know I'm not making this up. I saw your picture in her house. She…She still thinks about you. It's bad enough that you walked out on her, but you don't have to do this. She wouldn't want you to."

Jake ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't handle this right now. I need to think, you watch her. Make sure she doesn't try anything."

Dan watched his friend go, then turned back to Buffy. "Well, it looks like we might be here for a while."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The last thing Spike wanted was to go to school, but knew that it would drive him crazy to stay home. He needed a distraction after Buffy's disappearance. Spike didn't care what anyone said, he knew that Buffy didn't run away. Things were finally going well with them. She was happy with him, there was no way she would just take off and not tell anyone. No, it was something much worse. And if the police weren't going to help, then he would just have to find her on his own.

"Um, Spike? Can I talk to you?"

He turned at the timid voice to see a freshman girl standing behind him, noticing her around school before. "It's Dawn, right?"

Her eyes widened, seeming shocked that he knew her name. "Yeah, that's me. I…I know what happened to Buffy," she stuttered out, knowing that she was making the right decision by telling him.

Spike pulled her away from any onlookers, trying not to startle her. "What do you know?"

Dawn took a deep breath before responding. "I was outside the Bronze last night. Buffy was there, I saw two men grab her. It looked like they drugged her or something, then put her in a van and drove off. I don't know where."

Spike was more worried than ever now. He knew that Dawn would have no reason to lie. "Did you get a good look at them?"

"One guy had his back to me, so I couldn't make out his face. The other one was sort of tall, with dark hair and a leather jacket. Oh, he had this scar above his eyebrow. It was pretty gross looking."

Spike cursed to himself, remembering that the bloke in Faith's photo had a nasty looking scar. The same bloke that murdered Buffy's parents, he must have recognized her after all. This was not good. "Thanks, I have to go," he said, then hurried out of the school. Now that he had a lead to go on, Spike wouldn't rest until Buffy was safe again.

* * *

"I want to know why."

Jake stopped his pacing to glare at her. "Why what?"

"I want to know why you killed my parents. What did they ever do to you?" Buffy wondered, hoping that she would finally get some answers out of him.

"I didn't know your parents, and I sure as hell didn't care about offing them. It was just a job. My boss wanted your pops dead, so I made it happen. Your mom was just there at the wrong time, I wasn't about to leave any witnesses. I should have shot you when I had the chance, and I would have if it wasn't for those damn sirens."

Buffy shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "How can someone be so heartless? How can you not even care that you murdered innocent people? You're a father, for crying out loud. Would you have just shot Faith, too? You're nothing but a miserable excuse for a human. If you ask me, she's better off without you."

Jake snapped and slammed his fist into a nearby crate, pointing a finger at her. "Shut up, you don't get to talk about her! You don't know anything! I left for her own good!" he yelled, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. "I never wanted any kids. I couldn't be anything for her, so I took off. That bitch I was living with trapped me. She told me that she couldn't get pregnant. It was all a plan to get me to marry her, but enough about that. I needed the money, and killing was the only thing that paid good enough. I never gave any thought to my victims. I figured if the boss wanted them dead so much, then they must have deserved it. I didn't care about asking questions."

Buffy raised her head. "And my dad? What did he do to deserve getting killed?

"Your perfect daddy wasn't as perfect as you thought he was, princess. Turned out that he was a gambler, got a bit too carried away with it. He owed Mr. Rayne a shitload of money, but refused to pay. If there's one thing my boss won't stand for, it's someone not paying their debt. So, he hired me to take care of the problem for him. I needed the money, it was a done deal."

Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're telling me that my father died because he couldn't pay his gambling debts? That's bullshit; maybe you just didn't give him enough time. No one should die over that."

Jake laughed. "You got a mouth on you, girl. I like it," he said with a smirk. "If you were only ten years older, I might see what else your mouth is capable of. You're just lucky I don't take up with little girls, not my style."

She scoffed. "Oh, you actually have morals? Color me surprised. I wouldn't let you touch me, anyway. I would rather die."

Jake moved closer, getting into her face. "That just might be arranged, sweetheart."

* * *

"We have to do something. The wanker has Buffy somewhere, he's probably hurting her."

Giles tried to calm down his son, but it was no use. "The police are out searching for him, William. If they're not having luck, then there's no chance any of us would. Just sit tight and let them do their job, there's nothing more you can do right now."

Spike threw his hands up in the air. "The hell I can't. I should be out there looking for her, instead of sitting around here and doing nothing. I need to do something."

Faith pulled Spike down next to her on the couch, rubbing his back to try and ease some of the tension. Once Spike told her what happened to Buffy, Faith knew that she had to be there and left the school with him. She wanted to help out any way that she could. Faith watched as Anne and Giles headed into the kitchen, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Spike let out a long sigh once they were gone. "This is making me insane. I can't just sit here. God, I wish I knew where he might have taken her."

Faith's eyes widened, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "I think I know where she might be."

Spike turned to glance at her, with raised eyebrows.

Faith continued before he could say anything. "When I was younger, I overheard my mom talking to one of her friends. I remember it like it was yesterday, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. She was complaining about what a lowlife my dad was, and I remember that she mentioned he used to always go to this warehouse whenever they would fight. She only knew that because she followed him there once, never knowing what he did in there. When she confronted him about it, he just got all angry and wouldn't tell her anything. That was the last fight they ever had, he never came back after that. I think I know which one it is; this warehouse has been abandoned for years. No one is likely to go there. That would seem like the perfect place for him to take her."

Spike smiled, the first real one since Buffy went missing. "Lehane, I could kiss you." He did just that, planting a hard smack on her mouth and jumping off of the couch. "It's perfect; he probably figures that no one would find him there. Okay, you call the police and let them know. I'm going to look for Buffy."

Faith stood up and followed after him, grabbing his arm before he could reach the stairs. "No way, I'm going with you." It looked like he was about to argue, but she didn't let him. "I'm going, Spike. My prick of a father is the one that has her; I wanna make sure I'm there when the cops finally bust his ass. You're not leaving me out of it."

Spike gave in after seeing the determined expression on her face. "Fine, we'll call them on the way. Come on, it looks like we're sneaking out of my window."

Faith grinned as she followed him up the stairs. Buffy would definitely be proud.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Don't you think we should be getting out of here now? The cops could be on their way."

Jake rolled his eyes. "I chose this place because it's abandoned, I don't think we have to worry about anyone finding us. Besides, she's probably just bluffing. I doubt she had the guts to go to the cops."

Dan wasn't convinced. "I still think it's a bad idea hanging around here. I'm gonna look around outside again."

Jake watched him leave, letting out a sigh and turning back to Buffy. "It's so hard to find good help these days."

"My heart bleeds for you," she said sarcastically.

Jake chuckled. "You are a feisty one, aren't you? I like you, girl. It's just a shame that I have to kill you." He pulled out his gun, aiming it in her direction. "Dan's right, it's about time that we moved things along."

Buffy shut her eyes tight, only to open them again when she heard the other guy come back.

"We got a problem, Jake. I found her lurking outside."

Jake raised his eyebrows at the dark haired girl that Dan had in his grasp.

Buffy's eyes widened at the sight of Faith, wondering what she was doing there.

"Who the hell is this?"

Faith put on a fake smile, but inside was cringing at the words she was about to say. "What's the matter, Daddy? Don't you recognize me?"

Jake looked into her eyes, knowing that he was staring at his daughter. He pulled Dan away from her. "What is she doing here?"

Dan shrugged. "I don't know. She looked suspicious, so I brought her in here. You want me to tie her up with the other one?"

Jake shook his head. "Just make sure she doesn't go anywhere, I need to think."

Dan nodded and grabbed Faith's arm again.

"Come on, don't you think we should at least have dinner first? I'm not that easy."

Jake glared at her, not pleased with the way she turned out. It would be understandable knowing what a complete slut her mother was, probably still is. He groaned at a commotion that came from outside. "What now? You stay with them; I'll go check it out."

Faith grinned once he left, it was now or never. She stomped hard on Dan's foot, slugging him in the face. He fell to the ground and didn't look to be getting back up anytime soon. Faith then hurried over to Buffy's side, untying her arms and legs.

Buffy rubbed her wrists once she was free. "That was so cool."

"He had it coming. No one messes with my girl."

Buffy smiled and stood up, only to be grabbed from behind. She elbowed whoever it was in the stomach and heard a familiar grunt.

"Bloody hell; remind me to never sneak up on you again."

Buffy gave Spike a huge hug, looking at him apologetically when she pulled away. "How did you guys find me? How did you even get in here?" she asked Spike.

"I came in through the back. I'll explain more later, let's just get out of here."

A gunshot sounded through the warehouse, forcing them all to remain where they were.

"No one is going anywhere. Next time, I won't miss."

They turned around to see Jake standing there, a gun in his hand.

He moved closer to them. "You all must think I'm pretty stupid."

Spike scoffed. "You're the one that said it."

Jake glared at him. "Well, now I know who to take out first."

Spike shielded Buffy and Faith, not letting the man intimidate him. "You're forgetting about something. If we were able to find you, then the police aren't far behind."

His eyes widened when the doors burst open, a few cops barging inside with their pistols raised.

"Hands above your head!"

Jake dropped his gun, doing as the officer said. When two cops came at him, he attacked and tried to fight them off. Somehow he managed to get away, running over to the kids. Once he reached them, he pushed Faith and Spike out of the way, grabbing Buffy and pulling out a knife that he held to her throat. "Stay back or I swear I'll kill her!"

They lowered their weapons.

"Okay, I'm just gonna make my way out of here now. The girl's coming with me; I'll let her go when I know that I'm not being followed."

Buffy winced when the blade cut into her flesh, tears forming in her eyes.

Jake backed away, pulling Buffy with him. He was too distracted to notice a gun being fired, hearing the girl's scream and looking down to see blood oozing out of his abdomen. Jake glanced up and saw Faith, his own daughter being the one to shoot him with his own gun. How's that for irony? He let Buffy go, falling to the ground in the process.

The same two police officers headed over to Jake, picking him up and taking him outside. A few others dragged Dan away, who was still unconscious.

Faith dropped the gun to the ground, shock written on her features that she actually did it.

Buffy ran over to her, along with Spike.

Faith snapped out of her trance to gaze at her friend. "You okay, B?"

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you. Have you ever fired a gun before?"

Faith shook her head. "No, you're lucky that I didn't hit you. I had no idea what I was doing."

Buffy paled, relieved that it didn't come to that.

Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He would never let her out of his sight after this.

"We're going to need you kids to come down to the station to answer a few questions. We'll notify your parents of what happened and they can pick you up there."

Spike nodded and put his arm around both Buffy and Faith, following the officer out of the warehouse. His parents were definitely going to freak.

* * *

Faith was sitting in the police station with Buffy and Spike, waiting for her mother to show up. She dreaded the conversation that would take place. It turned out that she didn't kill Jake, just caused him to lose a lot of blood. He was taken to the hospital, then would go straight to jail for hopefully a long time. His friend would be joining him.

Buffy was resting her head against Spike's shoulder. She couldn't wait to get home and into her bed to sleep for about a week.

Spike looked up to see that his parents finally arrived. This would not end well.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Hey, what's up?"

Spike laughed when Buffy plopped down on his bed and made herself more comfortable. "I'm grounded, so pretty much nothing. You're not supposed to be in here."

She groaned. "This is just torture. It's been a week; you think Giles would go a little easier on you by now. Hello, you helped put away a very dangerous man. You should be getting rewarded, not punished."

He agreed. "I know that, but I did have them very worried. It's only one more week of punishment, that's not so bad."

Buffy moved closer to him, stroking his chest. "We'll just see if you can last another week without this," she whispered huskily, then captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

Spike let out a moan, wrapping his arms around her. She always felt so bloody good.

Buffy took his ear into her mouth, nibbling on it.

Spike was ready to take her right there, if it wasn't for his door suddenly being flung open and a throat being cleared in the entryway.

"You're both supposed to be separated. Come along, Buffy. Back in your room," Giles told her.

Buffy rolled her eyes and stood up, making her way out the door. She saluted Giles behind his back, then marched to her room.

Spike chuckled, but quickly stopped when he noticed that his father wasn't amused.

"What am I going to do with the two of you?"

Spike shrugged. "You could be a generous father and realize that we did a good thing, therefore this punishment is really not necessary." He threw his hands up in the air when Giles just remained silent. "Have a heart, Dad. I need to be with her; I'm going bloody crazy being cooped up in here. You even put bars on my window. It was only one time that I snuck out, and may I remind you it was to save that precious girl you always considered to be like a daughter? What would you have done if anything happened to her? When you think about it, I snuck out for a very good cause."

Giles couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "You really are something, son."

Spike perked up at this. "Does that mean the punishment is over?"

Giles shook his head. "Of course not, you have one more week, but that was a very nice speech. Goodnight, William."

Spike glared at his father's back as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. He then threw himself back down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Well, at least I tried." Spike knew that sleep would not be easy that night.

* * *

Buffy slowly crept out of her room and over to Spike's, being careful not to make too much noise. She opened his door, only to see him lying in bed so peacefully. She grinned and made her way over to him. It wasn't a secret that Spike liked to sleep naked. She licked her lips at the sight of his bare chest and quickly removed her clothes, getting in his bed and snuggling up to him. Like always, his arm came around her and his eyes opened to stare into hers.

"I like this, you sneaking into my room for a change. Did you have another nightmare?" he asked, hoping that she was done with those.

Buffy shook her head. "No, I just couldn't sleep without you."

He nodded. "I know the feeling."

She rested her head against his chest, letting out a sigh. "This week has been terrible. I needed you to hold me."

Spike pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You won't get any complaints from me."

She glanced up at him, pure lust written on her features.

Spike knew what she wanted. "That might not be the best idea, love."

Buffy leaned toward him, sucking on his neck. "We can be very quiet," she whispered.

His eyes rolled back, knowing that he would do anything she said at this point. Spike immediately rolled on top of her, gazing down into her face. "I can be quiet, but I'm not so sure about you." He kissed her lips before she could respond, sliding his tongue into her mouth and massaging it with hers. Spike caressed every inch of her that he could. His touch caused her to moan, which had him placing a hand over her mouth. "Shush, love, remember what we said about being quiet?"

Buffy could only nod.

Spike took his hand away, then positioned himself above her. He pushed inside, until he was buried all the way in.

Buffy gasped at the wonderful invasion, throwing her head back.

"God, you're always so bloody tight. A bloke could get used to this. That's it, baby. Squeeze me, that's my girl." It was hard for him to whisper when what he really wanted to do was shout out everything he was feeling, but knew that wouldn't be likely right now. Spike pressed his forehead against hers, feeling tears build up in his eyes.

Buffy was concerned. "Are you okay?"

Spike nodded and looked into her eyes, brushing some hair out of her face. "I've never been more okay. It's just still hard to believe that I'm really here with you. It feels like a dream every time. I love you so much."

It was Buffy's turn to get teary. "I love you, too. I really do, Spike."

He gave her a watery smile. "I know."

It wasn't long until they were both brought to release.

Spike smashed his mouth to hers to muffle the screams, then nuzzled her neck and lay there trying to catch his breath once he came down from his high.

Buffy ran her fingers down his sweaty back.

Spike moved off of her after a moment, not wanting to crush her. He then brought her closer to his side, kissing the top of her head once again. "Sleep now, I'll try to get you up in the morning before they do. My dad might add another week if he catches us like this."

Buffy giggled. "That would really be embarrassing. You're right; I don't think I could handle another week."

He agreed. "Same here, but the look on my father's face would definitely be amusing."

Buffy slapped playfully at his chest. "Sleep now."

Spike wrapped his arms tighter around her and did just that, with a smile on his face. Sleep always came easily with Buffy at his side.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The week went by and Spike was officially out of punishment, which he couldn't be happier about. He was sitting in the cafeteria at school, his arm around Buffy as he laughed at something Xander said. Spike looked up to notice Dawn walk in, motioning for her to come over to their table.

She seemed startled, but soon made her way over to them.

He gave her a smile. "Hey, love, you wanna hang with us for a bit?"

Dawn never would have expected that, but she only nodded and sat down across from him.

Buffy smiled as well. "I hear you're the one that told Spike what happened to me. Thanks, it's a good thing you were there."

Dawn shrugged. "I didn't really do much. I'm just glad that everything worked out." She always admired the older girl and wanted to be just like her. Buffy had cool hair, clothes, and one of the hottest guys in school. Dawn was grateful to be in her presence at all, maybe they could become friends. Maybe even be like sisters, but she wouldn't get her hopes up on that one.

* * *

The school year ended and summer began; everyone couldn't be more relieved to get out of there.

Buffy cheered and blew Spike kisses at his graduation, hugging him like there was no tomorrow once he came over to them afterwards.

Giles patted him on the back. "You did well, son. We're very proud of you."

Spike smiled at his family, with his arm around Buffy. It really couldn't get better than that.

* * *

Buffy rested her head against Spike's chest later that night, breathing so heavily that it almost felt like her heart would burst out of her chest.

"You okay, love?"

She nodded and looked up at him. "I think you might have broken me, but I'll be fine. I just need about a minute."

He chuckled. "You're really good for a man's ego, I'll give you that."

Buffy snuggled up closer to him. "So, what are we doing this summer? We have to do something fun before you start college. Senior year is going to be really boring with you at a different school," she said with a pout.

"I'm sure you'll manage. I was actually thinking about taking a trip to England this summer; I haven't been there in a while. Would you like to go with me?"

She shot up in bed, a smile on her face. "Seriously? You would take me with you?"

He nodded. "Of course, it wouldn't be the same going alone. I always hoped to take you there one day. I already talked it over with my parents, and they said it would be a good idea."

"This is so cool. I've always wanted to go there."

Spike was glad that she liked his idea. "Good to know, we can leave in a couple of weeks."

Buffy agreed and lay back down. "Spike?" she spoke after a moment. "Could you take me somewhere tomorrow? There's something I need to do."

He didn't need to hesitate with his answer. "I'll take you anywhere you want."

She smiled and closed her eyes, feeling herself start to drift off. Yeah, everything would be okay as long as she had Spike with her.

* * *

Buffy kneeled in front of both tombstones, placing the flowers down that she brought. She traced her mother's name, then her father's.

"You guys don't have to worry anymore," she said, looking up at Spike. "I'm taken care of now." She kissed the tips of her fingers and traced their names one more time. "I love you." Buffy stood up after a few minutes of sitting there in silence, then took Spike's hand in hers. "Okay, I'm ready to go home now."

He squeezed her hand, gazing into her eyes. "Are you really okay?"

Buffy smiled as she glanced at the tombstones one more time, then back at him. "Yeah, I really am."

Spike smiled in return and led her out of the cemetery.

* * *

Faith glanced around her room, taking in the fact that everything was neat for the first time in her life. She could actually see the floor. She removed all of her band posters and started to add more color to what was once a very dreary room, including some pictures that she found of her and her mom together. She looked at her reflection in the mirror one more time. Light make up adorned her features, and she was wearing a pink dress. Normally, Faith never would have considered leaving the house looking like that, but things were different now. She was done with the black leather and slutty attire, it was time to start living and stop feeling so depressed about everything. She wondered if the world would be ready for the new Faith Lehane. With a smile, she snatched the pack of cigarettes off of her nightstand and threw them in the garbage can. It was definitely time for a change.

* * *

"You can put your jaw back inside your mouth now, B."

She did just that, but still had an astonished expression on her face. "Sorry, I just don't think I've ever seen you in actual colors before. What brought this on?"

Faith shrugged. "It was just time for a change."

"Well, I have to say, it really works."

Spike nodded when he came back over to their table with the drinks, after hearing the last thing Buffy said. "I would have to agree, the dress looks nice on you. Uh, not that I was really looking or anything."

Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed her diet coke from him. "I'll let it go."

He sighed in relief and sat down next to her.

Faith glanced over to the bar, making eye contact with a shy looking boy sitting there. "I see someone that's just waiting to meet the new me."

Buffy noticed who she was referring to. "He doesn't seem like your regular type."

Faith grinned. "Exactly, I'll catch you guys later."

Buffy watched her go, still stunned by this turn of events. "Wow, I guess anyone is capable of change."

"What about you, love? Will I be seeing any pink dresses in your future?"

She laughed. "No way, but I'll try to take my wardrobe down a notch. At least I decided to go easy on the make up."

Spike couldn't argue with that.

* * *

Buffy let out a loud scream as she was brought to release.

Spike thrust into her a few more times, until he also reached his release. "It's a good thing my parents are out for the afternoon, there's no way they wouldn't have heard that."

Buffy lay against his chest, trying to get her breathing under control. "I don't think I can move."

He chuckled. "Mission accomplished, then. You ready to go again?"

Buffy stared down at him in shock. "You have to be kidding me. Do you think I'm a machine or something?"

Spike shrugged. "Well, if you don't think you can handle it."

She stopped him from getting up. "Oh, I can handle it. I'll make you eat those words."

Spike let a slow smirk form on his face. "I'd rather just eat you." He pounced on her, pinning her arms above her head.

"You don't play fair."

Spike licked a path up her neck, then stared into her eyes. "I never said that I did." He lifted up a bit, then plunged inside of her again.

Buffy moaned and arched her back.

Spike made his thrusts hard and fast. "Let's see how long you can last this time, baby."

Oh, she would definitely make him eat those words.

* * *

Giles and Anne entered the house a bit earlier than planned, both having an urge to relax in front of the television.

"Bloody hell!" rang out through the house, causing them to stop in the living room.

Anne's face paled. "Lord, it sounds like William hurt himself."

Giles placed a hand on her arm to stop her from heading up the stairs. "Let's go out to eat, dear."

She raised her eyebrows. "We just got here, and what about William?"

"Trust me, he's fine. We won't be any help to him right now. I'm in the mood for some Chinese," Giles explained, ushering Anne back out of the house.

* * *

Buffy lay back in bed, with a satisfied smile on her face.

Spike glared at her. "Now, this isn't playing bloody fair. You nearly shag me unconscious, and now you handcuff me to the bloody bed? Where did you even get these?" he wondered, yanking on the cuffs.

She shrugged, a smirk that matched his forming on her face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"You're truly evil, you know that? Let's just hope my parents don't come home anytime soon."

Buffy rested her head back on his chest, not about to let him free yet. She was having way too much fun. "I wouldn't worry; they'll probably be gone for a while."

**The End**

Okay, not the best place to leave it, but I really couldn't resist. I had lots of fun with this story, but I'm kind of relieved to be done with it now. It might be a little while before I start posting my next one. Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed!


End file.
